Unearthing Secrets
by chemister
Summary: Leslie Burke is really intrigued about the famous uninhabited mansion at Lark Creek where an accident occurred seven years ago, and she wants to solve the mystery surrounding it with her best friend Jesse Aarons. As they try to unearth the secrets of the mansion, can Jesse admit his feelings to Leslie? Tons of Jesslie moments inside! LDD
1. The Play

******Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Full summary: **There is a famous uninhabited mansion at Lark Creek, Virginia where an accident occurred seven years ago. Mysteries surround it and people say that you will hear strange noises coming from the inside. No one at Lark Creek has the courage to investigate the mansion except for a certain girl named Leslie Burke and her best friend Jesse Aarons. Will they be the first ones to unearth the secrets of the haunted mansion? And will Jesse admit his feelings to Leslie? LDD, duh!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.  
It's written in the stars that shine above  
A world where you and I belong  
Where faith and love will keep us strong  
Exactly who we are is just enough  
There's a place for us, there's a place for us.  
__—__There's a Place For Us by Carrie Underwood_

Prologue

SEVEN YEARS AGO

It was raining cats and dogs at Lark Creek, Virginia when it happened. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed from the stormy, gray clouds.

Somewhere near a creek, a Gothic-themed mansion stood there in all its glory with a color black grand gate. The mansion was two-stories tall and as wide as an Olympic swimming pool. It was surrounded by different beautiful tall trees that the mansion looked like a sacred haven in a deep forest, especially when viewed with the sun's shining rays.

Though this night was different.

Inside the mansion, the father and son were in a deep argument. They argued and argued, voices so loud that the mother didn't want to interfere. Suddenly, the father stormed out of his study room to go downstairs. Just as he was about to take the first step, he outbalanced himself because of hurry and his fury. Down he went the grand staircase non-stop.

The mother and son were shocked to find the father at the foot of the stairs—his blood all over the floor. They grieved for their loss.

The next day, the mother and son left their home to forget the unfortunate event that had happened to them and to start a new life.

After the accident, the wonderfulness of the mansion near the creek was gone.

But there's still a question that's been lingering about the mansion: Was it really an accident?

**goo . gl / gFO1ty**

Chapter 1: The Play

"I swear! I saw it with my own two eyes. It's real!" Janice shouts as she throws her hands in the air.

I flinch. "Well, yeah. You don't have to shout, Janice."

Janice huffs and crosses her arms on her chest. "It's because you two seem not to hear me. That's why I had to shout."

My one and only best friend in the world, Leslie Burke, leans on the lunch table, her green eyes sparkling. "Sorry about that, Janice. So, when did you last go there?"

Janice Avery is an overweight girl who's a bully before. Ever since Leslie helped her with her family problem after the Williard Hughes note prank, they became friends. And us, too. Janice doesn't bully anyone anymore, even her friends.

"Last two days," Janice says. "Even though it wasn't evening when I went there, the mansion's still spooky. I looked at the upper right window and immediately saw a white blur!"

"And you think this, er, white blur is an evil spirit?" Leslie asks.

Janice nods. "Yeah. But I'm not the only one who saw it. There are other people, too, and that's what they said: an evil spirit."

"I also heard that the owner's ghost is still lurking inside the mansion," I state.

"Wallace Pitchford, a classmate of mine, said that he went there one night to know if the rumors are indeed true. Just as he was about to climb the gate, he heard a hideous scream inside the mansion. Then he was off running back," Janice adds.

"Why did you go there in the first place, anyway?" I ask her.

"I was just curious!" Janice defends herself.

I look at Leslie to know her reaction. Her lips are in a tight line, meaning she's debating to herself whether to believe us or not. Well, this is new. I mean, she's the one who's more open-minded.

The first one to check the mansion after it's abandoned is Old Man Chris. Everyone in Lark Creek calls him that. He and the owner were, like, close friends or something. He went there one day and was startled to hear strange noises coming from the mansion. Curious, he checked the window and was horrified to see something he wouldn't even tell the local people.

Old Man Chris would only say, "It's so horrible that I want to forget what I saw inside. It's like a devil already started living there. I couldn't sleep for weeks! You lot shouldn't go there, or else you'll also experience what I experienced. Don't say you weren't warned!"

Since then, no one has the courage to go to the mansion. Well, except for twenty-two year old Lucas Wensfield, who went insane after going there (he was found at the streets laughing out loud in the morning) six years ago, Wallace, and Janice. Good thing nothing happened to the last two. And I don't know if there are other people who went there.

"How about we investigate the mansion? What if those aren't ghosts, but other creatures?" Leslie asks and turns to me with a knowing look. "I want to see it for myself."

I gape at Leslie, and Janice's eyes widen.

"Um, no. I'm _so_ not going back there. Call me a coward if you want to," Janice says.

"Coward," I say to her.

"Hey!"

"You just gave us permission to call you one."

"How about you, Jess?" Leslie asks.

Before I can reply, the bell suddenly rings, indicating that lunch time is over. We say our good-byes to Janice, and Leslie and I decide that we'll continue to talk about the mansion at Terabithia, our secret place, later as we head to our next class: Literature.

Truth be told, I'm starting to hate that subject because we'll be having a school play for Lark Creek High School's Literature Day next week.

Unlike me, Leslie is so excited for the play. You know her; she loves Literature, Shakespeare, and all that stuff.

"I wonder what will be our play," Leslie says as she finds her way to her desk. "I want to be a part of it. How about you, my King?"

I make a face as I sit down in the desk next to the window. "If possible, my Queen, I don't want to be a part of the play. But if all are obliged to join, then I just want to be in the props team."

Leslie giggles, which is music to my ears. "Well, I'm sure all are obliged to join. It's a competition, after all. We will be competing against the other two sophomore sections."

I grumble. "Why do we have this kind of competition, anyway?"

Leslie smiles. Oh her smile that can make everyone's heart melt, especially mine. "Cheer up, Jess. You're great at being king. And besides, we'll earn additional points for this subject."

I shrug. "Well, if there's a king role, then—"

Just then, Ms. Thompson, our Literature teacher, enters the room.

"Good afternoon, class," she greets. We greet her back. Ms. Katelyn Thompson is a beautiful and hyper teacher that laughs most of the time. Leslie and I love her because of her personality and kind of teaching in class. She has black hair and blue eyes that are like the ocean. And, no, I don't have a crush on her. Been there, done that.

"So, are you all excited for Literature Day this coming Friday next week?" she asks while clasping her hands together.

Most of my classmates give cheers while me and some of the boys just groan. Leslie punches me playfully on my right shoulder.

"So for one week," Ms. Thompson declares, "we'll just practice for our play. For this afternoon, we will talk about the preparations, props, costumes, music, and the casts."

"But, Ms. Thompson," Sarah Bradfield, a girl with long black hair and wide brown eyes, says, "you haven't told us what will be our play yet."

Sarah and I are seatmates in Geometry class. She's kinda strange because most of the time, when she looks at me, she keeps batting her eyelashes. I asked her one time if there was something wrong with her eyes. Sarah just giggled and said, "You're so innocent, Jess. It's so cute." Even now, I don't know what she's talking about.

"I'm getting to that, dear," Ms. Thompson says.

"I hope it would be Romeo and Juliet," someone interrupts.

"Yuck! Not that crap," Sarah says, disgust written all over her face.

Leslie turns sharply at her, giving Sarah her death glare. Uh-oh. I remember Leslie giving me her "glare" once after I joked something about_ Lord of the Rings_. She didn't like it and, well, let's just say that I don't want to see it again staring right at me.

I don't know what's with these two. They're, like, the rivals in Literature class. Also outside of the class, I guess. Whenever they have this staring contest with each other, or answering Ms. Thompson's questions, it's like they are radiating heat waves that are so intense. I don't even know how and when their rivalry started. Guess I have to ask my Queen some other time.

"It's not _crap_," Leslie says venomously. She doesn't like it when someone treats Shakespeare's works like garbage, or maybe because it's just Sarah who said it.

Sarah replies a sarcastic smile.

"Hey," I whisper, grabbing Leslie's attention. "Just ignore her, Les."

She sighs, and then gives me a smile. I smile uncertainly in return. I hope it's not obvious in my face that my heart is beating furiously.

"Now, now, class, listen!" Ms. Thompson interrupts, sensing the tension between Leslie and Sarah. "The topic given for the play for tenth grade is fairy tales. Then, we did draw lots to choose what would be our play."

Ms. Thompson pauses for a dramatic effect. We hold our breath.

"I got_ Sleeping Beauty_!" she exclaims.

There's a complete cacophony in the room as most of my classmates exchange words with each other.

I hear something like, "I hope I get to be Aurora!", "I wonder who will be the Witch," and "We will win this!"

"Class!" Ms. Thompson shouts to be heard from the noise. "Silence! Good. I already planned the casting and I did some twist. Please don't tell the other classes about who are the casts. We want to surprise the audience next week, don't we?"

"_Dun dun dun dunnnnn~!_" she sings.

All of us hold our breath again to know the casts.

Ms. Thompson grins that seems to reach her ears, and I suddenly have a bad feeling that I won't like what I'm about to hear.

"Princess Aurora is Jesse Ryan Aarons and Prince Phillip is Leslie Sophia Burke!"

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I think this is a must-read to understand more about Unearthing Secrets. Just to let you know that this is my first Bridge to Terabithia fic. I only read the book once last three years ago, I think. I also watched the 2007 film after reading the book, and I don't have a clue why I just started writing this story. Though I rewatched some of the parts and read the summary on Wikipedia to help me with this fic.

I got the idea of adding 'Sophia' to Leslie's name from Emily McDonald. To be similar, I changed Jesse's 'Oliver' to 'Ryan'. I believe you know where I'm getting at. Tee-hee. For this story, Janice is a senior.

I think I'm following the 2007 film more than the book. I hope you read and watched Bridge to Terabithia so that you'll know which is which and won't find it confusing! But there is also canon stuff here, which I'm sure you'll know right away. I don't care about the 1985 film. I find the "You lie!" scene funny there. You can watch it on YouTube, by the way.

Just also want to share that I was in a public place when I read, er, you know, the "death," and I had to stop my tears from flowing. I mean, it would be embarrassing! People would think or ask why I was crying if that happened. Haha! Though when I arrived home, I dashed to my room and started crying waterfalls. I didn't really expect that there would be a tragedy, so yeah. I also cried big time when I watched the 2007 film. After that, I immediately went to this site and searched for some LDD stories, but still didn't kinda move on about Leslie's death, which lasted for three weeks straight! I love Jesse and Leslie's best friendship so much that it really broke my heart when she freakin' died. I'm sure I'm not the only one! I know the reason why Katherine Paterson wrote Bridge to Terabithia, and thinking about it makes me sad and happy at the same time.

Oh, and I also love Joe McElderry's version of "There's a Place For Us."

Sorry for my long Author's Note. That rarely happens, though.

Please do Follow, Favorite, and Review. With cherries on top. :)


	2. Back from the Grave

******Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Full summary: **There is a famous uninhabited mansion at Lark Creek, Virginia where an accident occurred seven years ago. Mysteries surround it and people say that you will hear strange noises coming from the inside. No one at Lark Creek has the courage to investigate the mansion except for a certain girl named Leslie Burke and her best friend Jesse Aarons. Will they be the first ones to unearth the secrets of the haunted mansion? And will Jesse admit his feelings to Leslie? LDD, duh!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_Can't describe_  
_ Words are just not enough_  
_ Can't explain_  
_ It all happened so fast_  
_ What exactly am I feeling right now_  
_ If this is love I got to know somehow_  
_ Just how long this madness will last_  
_ 'Cause I think I'm in love_  
_—I Think I'm In Love by Marié Digby_

**goo . gl / ykP1bl**

Chapter 2: Back from the Grave

"M-my! I w-wonder what t-t-this i-is," I stutter like heck as I try to memorize my lines.

No good.

I throw the script book at the wall of our "castle."

Leslie laughs out loud as Prince Terrien, or P.T. for short, the gift I gave to Leslie when we were ten years old, sits down beside her. "You're so cute when you're blushing, my King. I mean, my Princess Aurora," she says.

I blush furiously at her remark when she mentions the word "cute." _My Queen thinks I'm cute? She says it all the time, but really?_ _Okay, I'm getting sidetracked. Focus, Aarons. _"Shut up, Les."

Leslie grins. "Don't be nervous when you're at the stage already. Just think that there are no audience." P.T. yawns, as if saying, _The Queen is right._

"I believe I'm more nervous about my role than the audience," I say glumly. "I mean, I was picked to be Aurora. A. Girl's. Role."

"And I was picked to be Phillip, a boy's role," Leslie says simply.

I put my hands on my face. "Ugh! What was Ms. Thompson thinking? And I can't argue with her. She said that anyone who will argue about their role will be deducted fifty points! She's blackmailing us! Maybe it's better if we are the king and queen."

"We'll tell Ms. Thompson that we are the King and Queen of a magical kingdom," she says. "Hey, at least you don't have many lines to memorize since you'll just be sleeping in the middle until the end of the play. Good thing also that our track and field practices are only every Tuesdays and Wednesdays."

I stand up and walk to get the script book, then sigh. "Come what may."

I sit down next to Leslie and try to ignore this feeling that's been bubbling in me since last year. Like, whenever I look at her face, hear her laugh, see her smile, and being at her side. Crazy, I know, but it's never been this way before. It all changed when we were fourteen years old. Don't count the time when we were ten years old, when it was raining hard and I looked at Leslie before I head home. She looked back at me, waving while carrying Prince Terrien on her arms with a sweet smile. It was just a teeny, tiny crush. Yeah, it really started when we were fourteen years old . . .

_Leslie was climbing a tree in her usual colorful outfit to see if there's a nest on one of the branches. I was just at the ground, looking up at her with a smile._

_"Jess!" she called down, "There's one right here! And there are three babies in it!"_

_"Are they cute?" I asked, cupping my hands around my mouth._

_"Of course! Oh, their mama is here now," Leslie said as she began to climb down._

_"Be careful!" I said._

_Leslie put her right foot on a thick branch, but slipped. I stared up in horror as she was rapidly falling down. "JESS!"_

_Thankfully, my instinct reflexes kicked in and I rushed to her aid. "LESLIE!"_

_I stood there with my arms extended, ready to catch her. Then, I caught her bridal style, but since the impact was strong__—_plus her weight_—_we both fell on the ground, Leslie on top of me.

"_Owww," we groaned in unison._

"_Jess, I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" Leslie asked with a panicked voice._

_I opened my eyes, and the first image I saw was her blurry face. I closed my eyes, then opened them again to see Leslie's green eyes staring at me with worry, her long, wavy blond hair falling down around her face gracefully, which made the sides of my face ticklish._

"_Shouldn't I be the one who's asking you that question?" I asked her. We both laughed and sat on the forest floor._

"_But seriously, Jess, are you all right?" Leslie asked again._

_I did a quick check-up on my body. "Well, I don't feel any pain, so yeah, I'm fine. You?"_

"_Same," Leslie replied._

_I sighed in relief. "Thank God."_

"_Yeah, thank God you saved me." Leslie smiled, and I grinned._

_Then, out of the blue, she hugged me. I was stunned at first, but quickly hugged her back while a blush was forming on my cheeks._

_Leslie was blessed by God with a face which could launch a thousand ships, a smile which could melt a thousand hearts, a body which could fascinate a thousand eyes, an inherent charm which could hypnotize a thousand minds, and most importantly, she was my Queen._

_Then, I realized that I was falling for my Queen, my angel who helped me overcome my fears, and my best friend: Leslie Sophia Burke._

"Jess! Hello! Earth to Jesse!"

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and look at Leslie_—_who's waving her hand in front of my face.

She giggles. "Where were you? At Lyrian or Narnia? You had that dreamy smile plastered on your face. Is there something I need to know about?"

I blush. _Yeah, you need to know that I love you ever since you fell on top of me last year, but I'm scared to confess it to you because maybe you don't feel the same way towards me and it could ruin our best friendship. _"N-nothing's wrong, Les."

"Oh." I think I hear disappointment in her voice and quickly look at her face. There's sadness in her eyes, but as she blinks, it is gone. I guess I just imagined it.

"Anyway, I want to talk to you about the rumors of the mansion. Do you believe in all of them?" Leslie asks.

I think for a minute. "I don't know. Not all of them, I guess. Why?"

"Because I don't believe in any of them. That's why I want to investigate the mansion."

My jaw drops. She said it so casually that I think she meant, _Let's eat Oreo cookies._

"You know me, Jess," Leslie continues. "I'm an adventuress, then you're an adventurer. We love adventure and mystery. We need to go exploring and investigating."

_Since when do I love mysteries?_ I point at her nose. "You've just been reading too much _Sherlock Holmes_, I presume."

Leslie swaps my finger away. "You're also right there, detective. So, you up for it or not?"

"Um, did you forget what I told you about Old Man Chris and Lucas Wensfield last week?" I ask.

"No. Say, Jess," Leslie says, "why didn't you tell me about the mansion before? I gained knowledge about it when it was trending in our school last month."

I shrug. "I don't care about the mansion, so yeah. And besides, Les, we have Terabithia."

Leslie nods. "So, we will go this Saturday?"

I turn to Leslie and she's giving me her puppy-dog eyes. I sigh. I can't say no_—_especially when she's giving me that kind of look.

"Okay. Fine. You win, Les," I relent.

Leslie's face lights up. "Thank you, Jess."

I smile. "You know that we always do things together, right?"

She smiles back. "That's why I lo—"

Just then, a thunder booms so loud and the clouds start to cry big time. _Great._

"Do we have umbrellas?" I ask Leslie.

She rummages inside the trunk where we keep our things, and gets two big umbrellas.

We climb down from the tree house as I carry P.T. on my arm with the umbrella in my hand. He's gotten bigger and heavier, but I manage to go down with no problem.

I set him down, then he runs ahead to keep us on track since we can barely see anything from the heavy rain pouring down.

I hold Leslie's hand and follow P.T.. I'm just guiding her, though I can feel my face heating up.

After walking carefully for how many minutes, we see the bridge with the shield sign "Nothing Crushes Us" that Leslie and I put, that still stands for five years.

Our fathers made the bridge when Leslie and I went to the Smithsmonian Museum with Ms. Edmunds. "We just want you children to be safe. And that rope you use to cross across the creek looks dangerous now," Mr. Burke said after we saw the surprise. We thanked our fathers after that and promised to be careful.

As we near the bridge, I notice something in my peripheral vision. I turn to my right and see a black silhouette running through the trees.

_No. It can't be!_

P.T. begins barking and follows the fading silhouette.

"P.T.!" I scream and follow him, releasing Leslie's hand in the process. I also drop the umbrella and I'm instantly soaking wet.

"Jess!" I hear Leslie shout as she runs behind me, but I run faster.

When I turn around a corner, I stop and pant heavily. I don't see the silhouette anymore.

Even P.T. stops to sniff around, but to no avail.

"The Dark Master's back," I whisper.

* * *

**A/N:** I just have to mention Lyrian there because I love the_ Beyonders_ trilogy by Brandon Mull. Even his _Fablehaven_ series. If you haven't read them, I suggest you should. They're great adventure and fantasy books, and I am sure Leslie Burke would love them, too.

As you have noticed, nothing drastic happened to Leslie in this story. Let's just say that Ms. Edmunds knows that Jesse and Leslie are neighbors, so that's why she invited them both to the museum (_Feed two birds with one scone!)._ And Jesse wasn't the one who made the bridge. I just want it to be different from the other LDD stories out there. And when they were ten years old, it was year 2007. I followed the year when the film was released, so the year now in my story is 2012.

Thank you so much for your reviews! So far, they're all positive. And to G-Matt, yep, it was done on purpose. I was inspired by the changing of genders for their school play when I watched_ Alice Academy_ episode 19 and_ Cardcaptor Sakura_ episodes 41-42.

Please do Follow, Favorite, and Review. With Oreo cookies on top. :)


	3. The Fear

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Full summary: **There is a famous uninhabited mansion at Lark Creek, Virginia where an accident occurred seven years ago. Mysteries surround it and people say that you will hear strange noises coming from the inside. No one at Lark Creek has the courage to investigate the mansion except for a certain girl named Leslie Burke and her best friend Jesse Aarons. Will they be the first ones to unearth the secrets of the haunted mansion? And will Jesse admit his feelings to Leslie? LDD, duh!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_You're here, your eyes are looking into mine_  
_So baby, make me fly_  
_My heart has never felt this way before_  
_I'm looking through your_  
_I'm looking through your eyes_  
_—Beautiful Eyes by Taylor Swift_

**goo . gl / Jh4wVQ**

Chapter 3: The Fear

"Jess, what's wrong?" Leslie asks for the millionth time as she looks at me with worried eyes.

I close my locker and glance at her. "I already told you, Les. It's nothing."

She rolls her eyes, clearly not believing me. "Yeah. Nothing. After that marathon run at Terabithia last afternoon, you seem troubled. C'mon, Jess, we are best friends, right? I'm sure I could help."

I pause. Should I tell her? I don't want to worry Leslie, but it seems futile because even right now, she's already worrying about me. And she's always been there for me, after all. I trust Leslie with all my heart.

I quickly grab her wrist and head outside of the Lark Creek High School building.

"Jess?" Leslie says, confused as I pull her along.

Then we are at the mini forest of the school_—_a cool place that has many benches near the trees where the students can sit and relax. You can also see the greenhouse for biology purposes at the west side.

I sit on a bench and pat the space next to me.

"So, what's inside that complicated head of yours?" Leslie asks as she sits beside me.

I grin. "Hey! You have the complicated head."

Leslie rolls her eyes with a smile. "Whatever," she says, and then turns serious. "What's bothering you lately, Jess?"

I look down at my hands. "I saw it last afternoon, Les. It's back."

"What's back?" she asks softly.

"The Dark Master," I whisper.

Leslie's eyes widen in shock. "Are you sure it's the Dark Master?"

"I-I don't know. It was all black," I admit.

Leslie thinks for a minute. "It can't be the Dark Master, Jess. I'm sure you also know that."

I was having second thoughts last night whether it's really the Dark Master or not. I mean, Dad and I get along fine now, thanks to Leslie. _She's right. It can't be The Dark Master._ "What was it, then?"

"Maybe more evil than the Dark Master," she says. I don't like the sound of that.

"I guess," Leslie continues, "we will have to postpone our plans for the mansion tomorrow and investigate the east side of Terabithia instead. That's where you and P.T. last saw it, right?"

"Um, yeah. But it's fine, Leslie. You don't have to postpone our original plans for tomorrow."

Leslie shakes her head. "That thing has been bothering you, Jess. I'm worried about you."

I look at Leslie, then she smiles brightly. I can feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach. _She really cares for me, huh? But I would also do the same thing for her._

Feeling bold, I reach for her hand and squeeze it gently. Leslie squeezes back.

"I also want to see it for myself. Not that I don't believe you or anything. When we see it, we'll beat it!" she exclaims.

I smile. "Yeah!"

000

Sarah laughs evilly. "So you are here, Prince!"

Leslie points her wooden sword to Sarah. "You must be the Wicked Witch who made the curse!" she cries in a deep voice.

"Well, duh! I believe I'm the only wicked witch in this land." Sarah turns to her underlings. "All of you, get him!"

The underlings_—_that composes five of our classmates_—_charge at the Prince.

Leslie slashes at the underlings gracefully, and then all of them flop to the ground.

"Argh! Useless servants." Sarah cries in fury and charges at Leslie. They dodge and slash at each other for a few seconds until Leslie stabs Sarah on the side of her stomach.

The Witch screams in agony. "No! Curse you, Burke! I mean, Prince!"

Sarah falls down as Leslie sheathes her sword.

"And cut!" Ms. Thompson declares and claps her hands. "Great job with scene three, everyone! Well, don't just stare there. Clap also!"

We give a round of applause. That scene was intense because of Leslie and Sarah. Well, everyone knows about their rivalry.

"Thank you, Ms. Thompson," Leslie and Sarah say at the same time_—_pause_—_and then glare at each other.

Sarah turns to the teacher. "I believe, Ms. Thompson, that I should be Prince Phillip instead of Burke here."

Leslie just smirks. "So that you would be the one to defeat me, or so that you could be with Jesse all the time? Heh! In your dreams, Bradfield."

_Wait, what?_ I am at the corner of the room with the props team, helping and giving suggestions on how to draw the trees and bushes while stealing glances at the two when I hear Leslie say my name. _Why was my name suddenly mentioned?_

Sarah is about to retort when Ms. Thompson interrupts, "Sarah, dear, you're the only one who could play a role that's completely opposite of your normal personality. That makes you a great actress."

I can see Sarah's brown eyes sparkle. "Really, Ms. Thompson?"

Ms. Thompson nods and smiles. "In fact, you're the _only_ person who can do this, okay?"

Sarah sticks her nose in the air. "Well, if you put it that way. I'll do my best, Ms. Thompson."

With that the bell rings, indicating that Literature class is over and time for our next subject.

"Class dismiss!" Ms. Thompson says.

Sarah completely ignores Leslie and glides happily to get her bag and heads for the door with Alice Young and Joenabie Wolff trailing behind her, confusion visible on their faces.

I go to Leslie and give her bag. She faces Ms. Thompson with raised eyebrows. "That was something."

Ms. Thompson laughs. "What I said is true, anyway. Oh, don't get me wrong, Leslie, dear. You are a great actress, too," she says. "And besides, I chose you to be Phillip and Jesse to be Aurora because I know that, in my class, you two are the only ones who are more comfortable with each other. Being best friends and neighbors, both of you have most of the time to practice together."

Why do I feel that she's implying something I don't know?

"Makes sense," Leslie replies with a blush.

_With a blush?_

"But, Ms. Thompson," I say, "why the changing of genders?"

She smiles innocently. "Why, Jesse, dear, to make the audience go 'weeee!', of course! Tah-tah, now. I don't want you two to be late for your next class."

000

As usual after school, my Queen and I hang out at Terabithia to talk and answer our freakin' homework. Mr. Pike, our World History teacher, gave us one: to write an essay anything about the Black Death to be submitted this Monday.

P.T. is just roaming around the forest like he does every afternoon.

"Essays. Gotta love essays," I mutter sarcastically as I start writing on my second paragraph. I look at Leslie's paper and gape as I see that she's already writing on her fifth paragraph. "How do you do that?"

Leslie faces me. "Do what, Jess?"

I stare dumbly at her paper. She follows my gaze, understands what I mean, and giggles. "Er, I just let my imaginative side take over, I guess."

I frown. "I don't have an imaginative side."

"That's not true. You know that."

"Let me rephrase that, then. I don't have an imaginative side when it comes to writing. I'll tell Mr. Pike next time if I could just pass a drawing instead of an essay."

Leslie laughs. "Why don't you try writing it in a sequence essay instead? I think it's easier since Black Death is the topic," she says. "Like, when it started, what year it came to Europe, then how many people died that date, and the uneventful years go on. Don't worry, mine is an explanation essay."

I think about this. "You're right, Leslie. It is easier that way. You really are a genius. Thanks!"

Leslie shoves me on the ribs. "Hey, you're also intelligent, you know?"

I smirk. "I believe you're the only one who says that to me."

"Yeah, right. I believe you," she replies sarcastically.

I look up and see her eyes staring right at me. Green meets brown. I am swimming in her eyes. I stare at them, so deep and rich that they can go on forever. It's, like, just me and her in the world. I also notice that our faces are a couple of inches apart. My throat suddenly goes dry and I look unintentionally at her pinkish lips.

_Crap._

"Jess," Leslie whispers and a shiver goes down to my spine.

I unconsciously reach for a lock of her hair and tuck it behind her left ear. I see her blush. I'm sure I'm blushing, too, but wildly.

Suddenly we jump apart as Leslie's iPhone_—_which is a birthday gift from her grandparents last year_—_starts vibrating with the ringtone of "Keep Your Mind Wide Open's" chorus at maximum volume.

Leslie suggested some months ago that I should listen to that song and, after listening to it, I loved it. I even memorized the lyrics that thought me how to be open to new things and be willing to try to understand something outside what you're used to.

The singer's name is AnnaSophia Robb, I believe. She and Leslie look alike, and they also have the same angelic voice. I teased her about it, but she only said, _But she's prettier, silly._

_I don't think so_, I thought.

I guess it's really needed to have a "Sophia" on a girl's name, huh?

Leslie gets her phone from her jeans pocket, looks at the screen, and I think I see an annoyance cross on her face.

"Excuse me," she mumbles and heads outside of the tree house.

I gasp for air I didn't know I was holding. _What have you done, Aarons? You didn't consider her feelings. Maybe she'll hate you for what you did! Leslie doesn't have any romantic feelings towards you. Only best friendship . . ._

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and can't help to overhear Leslie's conversation on the porch.

"Tomorrow? I'm sorry, I already have plans for tomorrow . . . Yes, I can go this Sunday afternoon . . . Hmmm, how about the pizza house at town . . . Okay. 'Bye." Then she hangs up and I can hear her sigh in relief.

_Wait, in relief? Oh, no! She's not going out on a date, is she?_

Panic floods through me and I can't help to think who she is going with. It can't be Gary or Scott, the former bullies. They stopped bullying us ever since Leslie tutored them in Math when we were in sixth grade.

I realize that Leslie is already sitting beside me when she taps her finger on my shoulder. I start. "Er, is something wrong, Jess?"

"You're going out on a date," I say without thinking, and then suddenly cover my mouth with my hands. I mentally bang my head on a wall over and over again.

Leslie gives me a confused look, and then it dawns on her. "Ah." She smiles teasingly. "And that's what is wrong, my King? That I have a date?"

"Yes. I mean, no! I-I mean, you're free t-to go out with s-somebody, r-r-right? I d-don't care about t-that," I stutter. _Why the heck am I stuttering?_

She laughs. "I was just joking, Jess. I'm not going out on a date! It's just that my classmate in Geometry, Nigel Groban, wants my help about the Hyperbola."

"Oh." I've heard about that Nigel Groban. He's one of the famous students in Lark Creek High School and a member of the Lark Creek Soccer Club_—_which means he is also a fast runner. Fate didn't let us become classmates in any of the subjects. Many girls go swoon over him because of his good looks_—_they say_—_and I fear that my Queen has feelings for him!

"But I heard you sigh in relief after your conversation," I say.

Leslie's nose crinkles in a way I can only describe as adorable. Okay, I hope she doesn't have any feelings for him. "That's because I'm glad it's over. Oh, my gosh, Jess! You were listening to the entire conversation?"

I blush furiously from embarrassment. "Look, I'm sorry, Les. I didn't mean to. It's just that your voice was so loud that I couldn't help but listen . . ."

She giggles lightly. "Oh, it's fine. I don't mind. I shouldn't have gone out in the first place, anyway." Leslie pauses. "Were you jealous, Jess?"

"Huh?"

Leslie bites her lower lip, a sure sign that she's nervous about something. "When you thought that I would have a date, were you jealous?"

My heart starts to pump faster. _Why on earth would you ask that, Les? Of course I was jealous! You're my Queen!_ But I say something intelligent like, "Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous, Les? I mean, we're best friends. I was just curious, that's all. My best friend on a date is great news for me," I lie fluently, and then suddenly feel bad. I don't lie to Leslie, but I don't want her to know my feelings for her yet.

_Stupid fear of rejection._

I see a small trace of sadness cover her eyes, and the corner of her mouth tightens for a second. I grow apprehensive. Does she know that I lied to her?

Suddenly, she grins, and I think that I was just hallucinating. "You know what, Jess?" she says. "I would also be curious if I know that you'll be having a date. Be sure to tell me if you'll have one, all right?"

What she said hurts me, but I let it go down. _She doesn't need to know yet._

I grin back uneasily. "A-all right."

We continue writing our essays in silence until Leslie says, "Don't forget about tomorrow, Jess."

I groan. I can't wait to be a detective tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: **Just want to share this Jess and Leslie YouTube video: watch?v=O2e3gSfBBtI

It's short, but still pretty awesome. The maker of the video was so amazing! If you have the time, feel free to watch it. :D

Maybe you could type something down below. Anything will do. It will make me happy. :3


	4. Unexpected

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Full summary: **There is a famous uninhabited mansion at Lark Creek, Virginia where an accident occurred seven years ago. Mysteries surround it and people say that you will hear strange noises coming from the inside. No one at Lark Creek has the courage to investigate the mansion except for a certain girl named Leslie Burke and her best friend Jesse Aarons. Will they be the first ones to unearth the secrets of the haunted mansion? And will Jesse admit his feelings to Leslie? LDD, duh!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you_  
_I've been running round in circles in my mind_  
_And it always seems that I'm following you, girl_  
_Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find  
—Can't Fight This Feeling by Reo Speedwagon_

**goo . gl / 8gOF4Y**

Chapter 4: Unexpected

"Sorry I'm late, Leslie," I say and pant for air when I reach her under the tree house. "Mom wanted me to wash the dishes first before I go out."

Leslie smiles. She's wearing a sequin racerback tank with a yellow elbow patch cardigan_—_hugging her curves_—_and mattie boots. Ever since we started our freshman year, she changed her style of clothing a little, but the colors are still there.

"It's okay, Jess," she says. "You're only late about five minutes, anyway."

I notice that she's carrying a blue backpack while I only have my jacket around my waist with me. I didn't think to bring any stuff while we go, er, investigating. Or adventuring. Whatever.

She opens her bag for me to see what's inside and I see a rechargeable flashlight, rope, compass, magnifying glass, and many more survival paraphernalia.

I whistle. "It looks like we're ready to get lost."

Leslie punches me on my arm, and laughs. "Get out of here! Since we'll go to an unexplored area of Terabithia, we don't know what we'll encounter or see there. It's better we have this stuff with us, just in case. I even brought sandwiches and a canteen."

I grin and say in my royal voice, "Makes sense, my Queen. And because of your survival awareness, I shall carry your bag for you."

000

We reach the area of the forest where P.T. and I last saw "it." "Here we are," I announce.

"How about we give it a name? The Wicked One? Since it seems more sinister than the Dark Master," Leslie says.

"The Wicked One? I like that," I say while tossing a rock.

Leslie giggles and points to the right side. "How about we go that way?"

"Okay," I say, and, as I step forward, Leslie looks at a tree to our left.

"Is something the matter, Les?" I ask as she bends down.

"Jess, look!" she exclaims, and I look to what she's pointing at: an arrow carving on a tree that points upward.

She examines the carving on the trunk using her magnifying glass, and I suddenly imagine Leslie wearing an outfit similar to Sherlock Holmes. "It kinda looks old. Old, but bearable to see, and it's even back-to-back!"

I look up. "Is it telling us that there's something up there?"

"I guess not since it's impossible to climb this tree." Leslie looks to the direction of where the arrow is pointing. "Okay, we're going to follow the direction of the arrow."

"You know," I say as we start walking again, "it's weird for someone to carve something like that here in the middle of the forest."

"Maybe someone got lost here before and had to make a trail," Leslie surmises, "or a hermit lives here somewhere that we don't know."

I frown. "Or maybe the Wicked One carved that."

This side of the forest has taller trees, more bushes and dried leaves that you can't see the forest floor anymore. There's a cry of a bird somewhere above the trees. It seems like it's giving us a warning not to enter this area, though I think it's just me.

I turn to Leslie and see that she has a determined look on her face. She's so beautiful this way that—argh! _Cut it out, Aarons! This is not the time for such thoughts!_

"Shall we enter, my King?" Leslie asks bravely.

I put on a brave face. "Yes, my Queen."

000

I guess it has already been thirty minutes since we have entered the dense canopy of interlocking branches_—_the dried leaves on the ground cackling beneath our feet. Some of the trees have moss and lichen growing on them. The air is even cool and damp.

Leslie decides that we should take our light lunch now. We sit on a fallen log_—_the backpack between us. We also notice that there aren't any Terabithian creatures around. Maybe the creatures are just hiding. But from who or what? Even the silence of the forest gets deeper.

"Hey, Jess," Leslie starts as she gives me a sandwich.

"Yeah?" I say as I accept it.

"Have you read all of the script?"

I munch on the sandwich. _Mmm, strawberry jam! Yum!_ "Yup, but I haven't read scene four yet. You did scene three yesterday, right?"

Leslie blushes lightly. _Why is she blushing?_ "Um, yes, but you do know what happens after I defeat the Witch, right?"

I nod. "The Prince goes inside the castle, sees the Princess sleeping, and then the Prince kisses the Princess."

She glances away. "Er, are you not nervous?"

I laugh. "For the first few parts maybe since I'll be talking and wearing a dress! I'll just be sleeping in scene four, right?"

"Um . . ." Leslie sighs. "Repeat what you said."

I blink. "For the first few par—"

"Before that," she interrupts.

I think for a few seconds. "What was that again? Oh, right. The Prince goes inside the castle, sees the Princess sleeping, and then the Prince kisses the Princess." Then it hits me like I've been splashed with cold water that I suddenly choke on my food. There will be a kiss. And I'm Aurora and she's Phillip.

_Holy crap!_

"Jess!" Leslie gets the canteen from her backpack and hands it to me immediately. I open the lid, gulp down the water, and sigh.

"Are you all right, Jess?" Leslie asks with worry.

"Yeah. Thanks, Les," I say, look at her, and my face suddenly heats up. The thought of Leslie kissing me springs up in my mind and I rapidly shake my head.

_Stupid hormones._

"J-Jess . . ."

"N-nothing! It's nothing, Les," I say, my voice squeaking partially.

Unfortunately for me, Leslie knows me too well_—_especially when my voice squeaks. "You've been thinking about the kiss."

I can't look at her in the eyes because I'm still blushing furiously from embarrassment.

"I-I asked Ms. Thompson about the kiss," she continues and I turn to her, baffled, "and she said that I'll just kiss you on the cheek . . ."

Er, wait. Why do I feel disappointed? My feelings are now like scrambled eggs! Is this the life of a teenager who's in love with his best friend?

". . . But she also said that it would be better if it's on the lips—"

"What?!" I yell, surprised. Leslie flinches at my sudden outburst. _What was Ms. Thompson thinking?!_

Leslie laughs, which I think is a little strained. Embarrassment from her face long gone. "I knew that would be your reaction, Jess," she says. "But you still surprised me. Hey, it's also awkward for me if it's on the lips, especially in public. So, on the cheek it is. Best friends do it, too, you know?"

I stop the disappointment rising through my chest. _Yeah, best friends._

I sigh mentally. I wouldn't mind if Leslie would kiss me on the lips. In private, yes. I mean, your first kiss on the lips should be with the one you love, right? It should be special.

_But Leslie doesn't love you back. Wait, what if she loves me back? Nah. Wishful thinking, Aarons. She only loves you as a best friend._

"Well," she suddenly says, "if Bradfield was Phillip, I'm sure she wants the kiss on the lips."

I give her a look of bewilderment. "Huh? Sarah?" I think this is the perfect time to ask her. "Say, Les, why are you two fighting a lot?"

It's Leslie's turn to choke on her food and I give the canteen to her. "Believe me, Jess, you don't want to know," she says after drinking.

"But I want to know," I insist. "I always notice when you have this staring contest or whatever. Did she do something to you? Tell me so that I can talk to her. We're best friends, right? We help each other."

Leslie sighs. "That's the problem."

"What do you mean 'that's the problem'?"

She panics for a second. "I mean, it's a girl thing, Jess. I'm sure you won't understand."

"Then I'll pretend that I'm a girl," I say. "I'm Princess Aurora, remember?"

Leslie looks at me seriously that I think she's about to tell me to shut my mouth. Then, she suddenly laughs freely. I grin. At least I made her laugh. For now.

"Fine, Jess," she says as the laughing subsides. "I'll tell you my problem about her, but when I am ready, okay?"

I feel a stab of hurt in my chest. Doesn't she trust me?

Leslie notices this and says, "No, Jess. It's not that I don't trust you. You're my one and only best friend, and I trust you so much. It's just that . . . it's hard for me to explain right now. Please give me time."

I look closer at her face. Leslie seems a little bit upset, which makes me begin to worry again. Most of her face looks completely normal, except for her eyes. Her green eyes are filled with a bit of anger and sadness. Anyone can change their facial expressions to not match their real feelings, but it is a whole lot harder to mask the emotion in the eyes.

I sigh in defeat, though. There's no use in insisting Leslie at this moment. I'm sure that when she's ready, she'll tell me, pronto. "Fine, Les. You win. But I'll be waiting. Don't forget."

Leslie smiles warmly, and my heart begins to beat faster again. "I just hope that I'm not going to lose you."

I return her smile. "Why would you think that? Believe me, Les, you are not going to lose me. No matter the circumstances."

We finish eating our food and set off again on our journey. We notice another arrow carving and follow it.

"I guess we will not become lost, after all," I say.

"Yeah." Leslie plays a song on her iPhone and starts to sing while walking.

I laugh. "Seriously, Les? 'Stayin' Alive' by Bee Gees? Are we in grave danger or something?"

She looks back at me with a grin. "Why, Jess, I know you love this song!"

"Touché," I say. "Just continue what you're currently doing to give this forest a new life." _And besides, I really love listening to you, especially when you're singing._

We pass the sixth carving and can hear the rushing water of the creek again. Our eyes dart here and there_—_observing the overgrown trees_—_but nothing out of the ordinary comes to sight except to see a small spring.

"Let's refill the canteen, Jess. It's almost empty," Leslie says as she ducks and puts the canteen in the spring.

We drink and refill the canteen. I ask Leslie for the time.

"It's almost twelve noon," she answers.

"Whoa! So it's already been an hour and a half since we started from the tree house," I say.

Leslie giggles. "We didn't notice the time, huh?"

We continue walking and, after a few minutes, the trees have begun to noticeably thin out. I gaze ahead and forget how to breathe. Leslie_—_who is busy looking down while walking as to not trip over the overgrown roots_—_notices that I'm not moving. She looks back at me and asks, "What's wrong, Jess?"

My mouth even stops functioning. Leslie follows my gaze instead and gasps.

Leslie and I are staring straight ahead at a two-story gothic building in astonishment and wary. The landmark that Janice Avery and the others are talking about: The famous uninhabited mansion of Lark Creek, Virginia.

* * *

**A/N: **Ehmehgehd the mansion has already made its appearance! Half of the mystery will be known in the next chapter. Hope you'll look forward to it!

Maybe you could type something down below. Anything will do. It will make me happy. :3


	5. The Haunted Mansion

******Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

**A/N: Will proof-read tomorrow.**

* * *

_Do you catch a breath_  
_When I look at you?_  
_Are you holding back_  
_Like the way I do?_  
_'Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away_  
_But I know this crush ain't going away_  
_—Crush by David Archuleta  
_

**goo . gl / eALwZ7**

Chapter 5: The Haunted Mansion

We are staring straight ahead at the back of the mansion that is one hundred feet away from us.

Leslie is the first one to break the silence. "Holy brown cow! It's the famous haunted castle!"

_Huh? Oh, right. I know where she's getting at._ I turn to Leslie and see that her green eyes are sparkling. _Here it comes, the moment we've all been waiting for._

"To the ruins, my King," Leslie exclaims using her royal voice as she grabs my hand_—_not that I mind. I blush lightly, though.

We first explore the sides as we reach the mansion. The rusted gate is filled with vines that reach the top. There's a large padlock hanging on the front gate, and the only way to enter the mansion is through climbing the gate. My parents will kill me if they knew that I've been here.

"It really is gigantic, huh?" Leslie says. "The kingdom that lost in the Great Terabithian War seven years ago." As she says this, it seems like a déjà vu to me.

As if in response, there is a sudden breeze and I look around, alert if anything comes out.

Leslie stops walking and turns to me. "Jess, what if the Wicked One lives there?" She points to the ruins. "And is keeping a prisoner?"

_Does she mean the rumored ghost?_ I shrug. "I don't know, Les. We can't even go inside."

"We'll climb the gate," Leslie insists.

"But it's off limits and you-know-what!"

"Jess, Katharine Hepburn said, 'If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun,'" she says calmly.

I sigh in defeat. _Wise words, Leslie. I definitely learned something new today._

I climb the gate after Leslie is already at the other side. "Who lived here again, Jess?" she asks as I jump down beside her.

"The Alsons," I whisper, afraid that someone might hear us. "Dad said that Henry Alson_—_the owner and husband of Trina Alson_—_was a successful business man. He died because he fell on their grand staircase."

"Oh. Do they have a child?"

"Yeah. Dimitri Alson. They moved to New York after the accident."

The lot is full of overgrown bushes and tall weeds that you can't see much of the gate anymore. As expected from a place that has been abandoned for how many years. But the mansion_—_even with vines and plants crawling on the side_—_still looks preserved.

"Jess, look!"

I turn to where Leslie is pointing and see a dirty greenhouse. It must have been a grand when it's still taken care of. We walk towards it. Leslie peers at the glass door, and frowns. "That's weird."

"What's weird?" I ask as I peer inside also.

"The inside looks . . . clean." Finding that the door is unlocked, she opens it and I gape. True enough, the inside of the greenhouse looks good as new. Tomato plants are in a neat line. Different kinds of flowers that are in full bloom are at the opposite side. There are even hanging plants on the ceiling. We go inside and find out that there are also other vegetable plants at the back row.

"Does this mean . . ." I falter.

"That someone lives here? Yes, I think so, too," Leslie finishes.

000

It's almost three in the afternoon when Leslie and I reach the tree house.

"Now," Leslie says as she sits on the floor. "The arrow carvings, the plants inside the greenhouse . . . I conclude that someone really lives there. But we don't know who."

"Or what," I add and sit beside her. "That was something, huh?"

She smiles tiredly. "Yeah, even the hike. I tell you, Jess, what we went through in the forest is the shortcut to the haunted castle."

I grin. "The secret magical shortcut to the haunted castle."

Leslie giggles. "Yeah. That. Let's keep this to ourselves for now. We'll go back there next week to know if anything has changed."

Now, my Queen is hyped about solving the mystery, and she's infecting me. I don't mind, though. In fact, I think I'm starting to like mysteries.

"It seems that whoever is living there," Leslie surmises, "is keeping away visitors. He or she doesn't want to know that the mansion is currently occupied."

"Yeah," I say. "Remember what Janice said? That she saw something on the upper window?"

She nods. "But when I looked at the said window_—_well, I looked at all the windows_—_there's nothing but curtains. Maybe the person living there doesn't know that we're in the vicinity."

I shudder. "Makes sense. So, what do we do now?"

"How about we practice scene four?" Leslie suggests.

I gape at her, and flutters of both nerves and excitement hit my stomach, but I firmly shove them down.

Leslie rolls her eyes. "C'mon, Jess. I think we can concentrate more if there's only two of us rather than if we're at school practicing scene four," she explains.

_She does have a point. Wait, is it getting hot in here or what? _"O-okay." Leslie doesn't seem nervous, so why should I?

_She only thinks of you as a best friend, that's why._

Leslie gets a pillow and blanket inside the trunk, and prepares them on the wooden floor. "We'll pretend that the Three Fairies are here . . . hmm, Terabithian Fairies . . . yes, could work," she mumbles to herself.

"I don't have a line here, right?" I ask her.

"Yes, though I guess you can add something when you wake up."

I lie down on the blanket, close my eyes, and feel Leslie on my side, kneeling.

"Oh! What a beautiful princess!" she exclaims in a deep, boyish voice. I try to ignore the tightening feeling in my stomach.

_Hey, that should be my line, Les! _I think. _Though the "princess" should be replaced with "queen."_

"Fairies appear . . . fairy one blah, blah, blah . . . fairy two blah . . . fairy three if you truly love her, then a kiss . . . yes . . ." Leslie says.

I tighten my eyes and can feel Leslie leaning on my face. My hands are getting sweaty, and my chest is ready to burst.

_Dear God, help me!_

Now I can _really _feel Leslie, her breath tickling my cheek. My stomach squirms as she leans in. _This is it. I don't care if it's on the cheek or lips. As long as it's a kiss from Les__—_

"Jess! Leslie! Are you up there?"

Strangely relieved and disappointed at the same time, I quickly open my eyes just in time to see Leslie jump at the sudden interruption and fall backwards onto the floor. "Ow."

I suddenly stand to help her. "You all right, Les?"

She nods, mutters a "thanks," and together, we look down at the window and see May Belle standing with a grin on her face.

May Belle and Joyce Ann are the only persons aside from us who know about our secret. That's because they always kept bugging the two of us to play with them and asking what we're doing in the woods four years ago. So, we didn't have any other choice but to tell them the truth. She is the "Princess of Terabithia" while Joyce Ann is the "Younger Princess of Terabithia".

"Hey, you two!" she exclaims. "Um, Leslie, are you frowning? And why are your faces red?"

I shake my head. "W-what are you talking about, May Belle? Jeez, you're just i-imagining things."

"Then why are you stuttering?" she says back.

_Smart brat._

Before I can reply, Leslie says, "We're just surprised, May Belle. That's all."

May Belle tilts her head questioningly. "Surprised . . . ?" Then, a mischievous grin appears on her face. "Oooh. Jesse and Leslie sitting on a tree! K-I-S—"

"We were not kissing!" Leslie and I shout at the same time. May Belle almost got it right, though. Not that I'm going to admit it to her.

May Belle laughs out loud. "Both of your faces are now as red as ripe tomatoes!"

I stop myself from strangling my little sister on the neck. "What do you want?" I growl down at her.

She stops laughing. "Gosh, that was so . . . Anyway, it's not me who wants something from you. Mom asked me to get you to go grocery shopping with her at the town."

I jump down from the tree house and is now standing right in front of her. "How about you do it instead?"

May Belle smiles innocently at me. "You don't treat your Princess like that, King. And I still have homework to do. I also want to ask the Queen of Terabithia if she can help me with it."

I roll my eyes. Leslie giggles as she jumps down. "Of course I'll help you, Princess of Terabithia. So, what subject is it?"

"Math, if you don't mind. I can't ask help from Jess if it concerns numbers."

"Numbers _with_ letters," I correct May Belle.

"Well, everyone has strengths and weaknesses, anyway. Don't feel bad, Jess," Leslie says.

"Except for Leslie Burke. She doesn't have any weaknesses," I say with a grin.

She shoves me on the shoulder. "You forget drawing, silly. That's my weakness."

"Oh. But last time I checked in our Art class last year, your eel looked like a Chinese Dragon."

"Aha-ha-ha."

"Is it okay if we'll do it in our house?" May Belle asks Leslie, ignoring our bantering as we head home. "So that Joyce Ann will have company. We'll have the whole place to ourselves."

Leslie smiles. "Sure!"

Great. There will be a homework girls' party at our house. At least there's no Ellie and Brenda around. They're both studying at a university somewhere in Indiana where Mom's parents live, which is a relief for me. But I kind of miss their teasing and bickering around the house, and their famous line "Weird and weirder."

Then, I suddenly remember who Leslie is hanging out with tomorrow after church: Nigel Groban.

* * *

**A/N:** Already proof-read. Though if there are still some errors, please let me know.

Sorry for the late update! It was our exam day, so I didn't have time to type chapter 5 until now.

Dun dun dun dunnnn~! Nigel Groban will make his appearance in the next chapter. Are you excited or what?

And to answer Ashworth555's question: Well, she already does have a crush on him since they were ten years old in the 2007 film (and in the book, too, I guess. LOL I forget). Though Leslie here in my story, yes, she is brave, but when it comes to love, it's a different matter. It's like she's struggling with an unseen force, like Jesse. But in the later chapters, they will overcome that fear. Ooops! I think I already said too much.

Thanks for all your reviews! And I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please do Follow, Favorite, and Review!


	6. Nigel Groban

******Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_She can teach a melody to the birds,  
And problem solving without a word  
She can tell the richest man how to need,  
Oh right after telling him about me  
—Perfect by Jon McLaughlin_

**goo . gl / M5nzYZ**

Chapter 6: Nigel Groban

As we are leaving the church, Leslie turns to me. She's wearing a strapless white dress with a blue denim jacket that she customized with girly stuff, and white flats. I also see something glittering on her lips: lip gloss. Leslie looks sexy this way, but she looks sexy and charming in whatever she wears. I frown inwardly. _Looks like she's ready for her _date.

"You sure you don't want to come with me, Jess?" she asks for the umpteenth time. "I'm sure Nigel wouldn't mind."

_Yeah, right._ I shake my head. "It's okay, Les. I still have to water the plants inside our greenhouse, anyway."

_And I don't want to disturb you two, _I think.

Leslie sighs in defeat, though she's giving me a look that I can't define. "Well, if you are sure, then . . ."

"Leslie, dear, you're not coming home with us?" Mom asks as she overhears our conversation.

She nods. "Yes, Mrs. Aarons. I still have someone to tutor at the pizza house. I hope you don't mind."

"Do your parents already know about this?" Dad asks as he starts the engine of the truck.

"Yes, Mr. Aarons," Leslie replies.

"Well, we don't mind, if that's the case." Mom smiles. "As long as you take care, all right?"

Leslie smiles back. "Thank you, Mrs. Aarons. Good-bye, Mr. Aarons, Joyce Ann, and May Belle."

Dad nods, and my two little sisters hug Leslie. Good grief! They make it look like she'll be going on a vacation far away for how many months.

She hugs them back. "Hey, I'll bring home a pizza for you all. The beef special_—_family size."

The two cheer and happily climb at the back of the truck.

"You don't have to, Les," I say.

Leslie rolls her eyes. "I don't mind, Jess. And besides_—_my treat."

I put my hands up in surrender. "Fine. You win. Well, you better go now or you'll be late."

She's about to say something, but suddenly decides against it. "Yeah. See you later, Jess."

I smile a little and wave good-bye as she walks away. I wonder what she's supposed to say in the first place. Then, I head for the truck and Dad's looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"What?" I ask, perplexed.

"You sure you're not coming with Leslie? She invited you many times," Dad says.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, Dad. And besides, I'll just be a hindrance to them."

Dad hums to himself. "I wager that Leslie was insisting you to come with her because she's not comfortable with the guy she's going to tutor to."

I blink. "How come you know it's a guy?"

Dad shows his rarely-used grin. "I just know."

I look to where Leslie was standing a while ago and frown. Who the heck cares that she'll be going to the pizza house with that Nigel Groban? I mean, we're just best friends. I don't have the right to be jealous, right?

Right.

000

"Fred!" I hiss to the tall brown-haired guy.

"Hey, buddy," Fred greets after dumping the garbage bag in the dumpster. "How come you're not with Leslie? She's inside with a cool-looking guy. Say, why are you here at the back of Pizzalicious, anyway?"

Fred is a waiter here in Pizzalicious for who knows when. He's a funny person and always makes me and Leslie comfortable whenever we eat here. That's why we like him.

"That's why I'm here, to check on Leslie," I explain.

"Huh? Why don't you just use the front door?"

"I can't. She doesn't even know that I'm here!"

"Wha—oh, I get it. Spying." Fred grins. "You're spying on Leslie."

I blush from embarrassment. "Whatever, Fred. Just don't let her know that I'm here."

Fred laughs and opens the back door. "No prob, and come in!"

Pizzalicious is the pizza house that Leslie's talking about. Well, this is the only pizza house in Lark Creek, anyway.

As Fred shoves me inside the kitchen, I can smell the fresh scent of spices and dough. The three cooks give me their hellos, and I greet them back. That's what you get if you're a loyal customer and nobody thinks that entering through the back door is weird.

"They're at booth four, Jess," Fred says. "And they're sitting at the left side of the table, which is a good thing. They can't see you if you sit at booth five."

My eyes widen. "So you're telling me that they are sitting next to each other?"

"Er, yeah."

"Oh, I forgot. Leslie's tutoring Groban, that's why. Anyway, my order is pasta with iced tea."

Fred writes my order on a paper. "As usual, discounted. Your order will be ready in ten minutes. Now, go out there and happy spying!"

I stifle a laugh and say my thanks.

_Well, here goes nothing._

I open the door and see the colorful orange and yellow tiles and walls of the pizza house. I rush to booth five. Thank God there aren't many customers right now, though an old lady_—_who is sitting on a bar stool near the counter table bar drinking coffee_—_looks at me with a puzzled look. I just smile sheepishly in return, and take a sit at the right side of the booth. I have successfully entered Pizzalicious without Leslie seeing me.

I take deep breaths. _Calm down, Aarons. You're here now. No time to back out. Just don't let them know that you're here. Know what they're talking about. You're sure that they're not just going to talk about hyperbola and other Geometry related stuff. Simple as that._

I lean into the seat of the booth and can hear them laughing.

_Laughing_.

Good grief! What are they laughing about?

"Here's another one, Leslie. What do you call a crushed angle?" I hear Groban ask.

Leslie giggles. "What?"

"A rectangle!" he beams. "Get it? Rectangle. Wrecked angle."

They both laugh out loud like they own the pizza house. Why is my Queen laughing so much? It was just a lame joke! And Dad's wrong about Leslie not being comfortable with Groban.

She sniffs. "Okay. Enough about the jokes, Nigel. I haven't even started tutoring you yet."

"Well, how about we eat first? Like I said, it's on me as payment for your tutoring service since you won't accept money."

I have an ugly feeling that this is not just a tutor for Groban.

I can feel Leslie is rolling her eyes. "My tutoring services are free. By this, I'm helping mankind."

Groban chuckles. "I believe that you should be the next president of the United States of America. So, what do you want to order?"

I hear Leslie say, "Your choice." Though I know full well what she wants to order. We usually come here to eat her favorite, after all.

"Oh, okay. Hmm, does Hawaiian Delight sounds good?"

"Actually, that's my fave. So, yes."

"Really? Mine, too!"

My jaw tightens. _Really, Groban? If not, you just had a lucky guess._

Groban calls for the waiter_—_who is Fred_—_and tells him their order.

"Hey, Fred," Leslie says happily.

"Hello, Leslie, and to this young man here," Fred replies casually. "Say, where is Jesse?"

_What the heck, Fred!_

"Oh, I'm sure he's already at their house right now. Though I was inviting him to come with me, but he declined. I guess he's just shy."

"Ah. An unfortunate event."

"What do you mean by that?" Groban asks. "And besides, Leslie's tutoring me on this special afternoon."

"It's just that Leslie and Jesse are, like, two peas in a pod," Fred says. "It's alien for me not to see them together, and that Leslie is with another cool-looking guy." _Wait, Fred thinks I'm also cool-looking?_

"Fred!" Leslie exclaims. There's a hint of embarrassment in her tone. I want to see Groban's reaction on what Fred said.

Fred coughs. "Moving on. Would that be all?"

"Yeah. Oh, and also a liter of iced tea," Groban says flatly.

Now I want to laugh out loud. _Fred, you're the best waiter in the world._

He goes back to the kitchen, and Groban asks Leslie," So, what's your play for Literature Day? Ours is _Cinderella_."

"_Sleeping Beauty_."

"What's your role?"

Leslie giggles. "Secret. You'll know when the competition starts."

"What?" Groban whines. "Not even a hint, Leslie?"

"Nope. My lips are sealed."

"Very well, then. I won't tell you my role, too. But just to let you know that we'll win the competition."

"Don't let your hopes get too high, Nigel. We'll win for sure."

_Yeah, _I think, agreeing with Prince Phillip. _Our section will really win that competition for sure._

I go to the restroom to wash my hands. When I'm done, I open the door and freeze. Leslie and Groban are heading towards the restroom_—_to wash their hands also, no doubt.

Right. This is a unisex restroom.

I suddenly close the door and look at the two stalls inside. Unfortunately, it's occupied and the other stall is out-of-order and locked.

I knock on the stall. "Are you not done yet?"

"What do you think? And I just got here!" a lady's voice hollers back.

I cringe and panick. They didn't see me, right? If they did, then Leslie would have come barging here already. And they're facing each other while walking. Yeah, surely not. For now.

I look at the door with frightened eyes. Any moment now and Leslie will discover that I've been spying on her. I'm sure she won't like that.

Then, I see the door knob turn.

_Oh crap! I'm trap!_

* * *

**A/N:** If you have any questions regarding the story, feel free to PM me or just include it on your review and I'll answer them here on my Author's Note so that the other readers can read my reply since it is also like an add-on, a behind-the-scenes, or a trivia for this story.

And now, to answer philliboy's questions. *takes a deep breath, and then exhales*  
Leslie was referring to 'The Great Terabithian War' as to the accident that happened inside the Alson Mansion seven years ago (the prologue). She just made up The War since they thought it was abandoned, and haunted (for Jesse, anyway), that's why Leslie said 'ruins', thanks to her creativeness. For them, the mansion was another kingdom. Terabithia purely came to life because of Jess and Leslie. Just also want to add that Jess was referring to the déjà vu part when Leslie said, "Too bad for them. They got so close. To the kingdom." beside the old truck five years ago.

As to Hepburn's quote, I just searched for a 'breaking the rules quote' on Google, and that appeared on one of the searched websites. I'm not sure if it's a quote in one of her movies or a personal quote of hers. XD

Ah, and the almost-kiss scene. Leslie didn't care about Jesse's nervousness at that time because, well, she's excited to get the deed done, and you're right. That's why Leslie was so surprised when May Belle interrupted them because she wasn't expecting for an intrusion, and then was frowning at her. I mean, who loves to be interrupted when the thing you want to accomplish is about to happen? XD

So, I believe that also kinda answers your other question regarding if they're into each other. The title just doesn't apply to the mansion. It also applies to Jess and Leslie's feelings for each other. Well, they are not that totally clueless towards each other's true feelings. The two are, like, 'I hope Leslie loves me because she's doing that' and 'I hope Jess loves me, too, because he's doing that', but are also thinking, 'What if he/she just loves me as a best friend? If I confess, it could ruin our best friendship. And maybe he/she loves Sarah/Nigel yadda yadda' and all that crap. Though Jess is dense when it comes to other people's feelings towards him, like Sarah, mostly because he's not interested and only concentrates on Leslie. Okay, I believe I have to stop there. :D

I also have my own version as to why the rope, tree house, and truck were there in the first place. Watch out for it in the future chapters! And we'll also get a chapter of Sarah soon. Don't worry.

I'm so glad that you lot like this story so far (well, I hope in the later chapters until the end, you'll still like it XD). Thank you so much for all of your support! And I had fun answering phillyboy's questions. Dunno if what I said makes sense to you. I'm sorry that I'm not good at explaining things properly. I so fail in that area. XD

Mwahugs to all the people who followed, favorited, and reviewed on this story! :D


	7. Sweet Dream

******Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

**A/N: So I reread chapters 1-6 and edited the grammatical errors, typos, and missing commas. If there are still some errors left that I haven't noticed, please do tell me. ****Sorry about those. I'm still polishing my writing skills. ** And I changed the 'thirty feet' from chapter 5 to 'one hundred feet', you know, when they saw the mansion. I was stupid to use thirty feet since it's still kinda near. Mehgehd I'm ashamed. So sorry!

* * *

_You're the burning in my heart that never dies, never dies  
Without you here my world is black and white, black and white  
Like a show without a stage  
Like a storm without the rain  
You are the one I can't replace  
Need you by my side  
Need you by my side  
—Amazing Life by Britt Nicole_

**goo . gl / jhFE0m**

Chapter 7: Sweet Dream

I close my eyes tightly. A line from the song "Advice" by Christina Grimmie suddenly pops in my mind.

_But when you think you're stuck  
Just go another way. . ._

Now where the heck is that other way?

I hear the flushing of a toilet and the stall opens. Now I see the other way and can hear a choir singing "Hallelujah!" somewhere in the background. Thank God!

"Excuse me," I mutter as I quickly pass the lady and lock the stall.

I hear her say, "Urinary bladder's full, no doubt."

I put a hand on the wall to steady myself, and take deep breaths. I didn't know that I was holding my breath for too long. I also notice that my palms are sweaty again, and I just washed my hands.

Now they have entered the restroom as I hear the rushing water from the sink, and Leslie's giggling.

"Oh. Toilet's occupied," Groban says and the restroom door closes. I open the stall slightly to make sure that I'm the only person inside the restroom. Yep. I sigh in relief and wash my hands again. That was so close! I do the same thing to the restroom's door. Great, I feel like I'm James Bond.

I walk rapidly to my booth, and sigh in relief for the millionth time. Ten minutes have passed and Fred delivers my order. He raises his eyebrows, silently asking me if I'm all right. I give a weak thumbs-up.

I begin eating my pasta. Pizzalicious has the best pasta and pizza here in Lark Creek, Virginia.

Fred also gives Leslie and Groban their order, and I chuckle to myself as he makes funny faces to Groban while walking away.

"So," I hear Groban say, "you and Aarons always eat here?"

"Not all the time," Leslie replies. "Just most of the time. They have great pizza and pasta here."

"I agree. You're also neighbors, right? When did you first meet?"

Now, what is this? Groban's asking personal questions to Leslie_—_and it's about me! I take a drink from my iced tea as I do my best to listen.

"We first met when we were ten years old," she says. "And my family and I just moved here in Lark Creek. We were classmates at Lark Creek Elementary School. It was funny because I didn't know he's also my neighbor at that time. And I beat him at a race with the rest of the fifth grade runners. I was the only girl who joined, and I still won. "

I smile. Leslie's so proud of that achievement, and she really deserves it.

"Whoa! You're one fast runner," Groban says, astonished. "And you two are still members of Lark Creek High's Track and Field, right?"

I think Leslie just nods and eats a slice of pizza since I don't hear a reply.

"Are you two dating?"

I spit the iced tea from my mouth. Anger rises through me and I want to stand up now, face them, and say to Groban, "Yes, we're dating. Now back off!" Instead, I let go of my iced tea and slowly clench my hands into fists, and held them stiffly at my side. I wish I can see Leslie's reaction right now.

There's silence until she says, "No, we are just best friends."

It's the truth, but I can't help to feel a stab of hurt in my chest.

Groban sighs with relief. "That's good."

My jaw tightens. It's official: Groban has a thing on my Queen.

"What?" Leslie asks. I guess she didn't hear what Groban said. Thank God.

"I-I mean, that's good that you have a best friend."

"Yeah . . ."

"So, is it fine i-if I'm going to cou—"

A cacophony of spoons and forks falling to the floor can be heard throughout the entire pizza house. I turn to the scene of the crime and see Fred picking up the fallen objects and saying "sorry" over and over again to the customers. I grin. Looks like I'm not the only one who's been eavesdropping on Leslie and Groban's conversation.

"Fred, are you all right?" Leslie asks with concern. "Let us help you."

"Yeah, I'm all right. I'm sorry I was clumsy. No need to help me," Fred replies sheepishly. When we lock eyes, I mouth him a "thanks" and he winks. I shall give Fred an extra tip later.

"Hey, Nigel," Leslie says, "while we're eating let's start our lesson to not waste time."

"S-sure . . ."

000

It's almost five o'clock when I arrive at our house.

After I finished eating my pasta, it seemed that Groban wouldn't bring back the courting topic anymore for that day, so I paid for my food, thanked Fred_—_which I also gave him an extra tip as promised_—_and exited through the kitchen. Then, I took a bus to head home.

I enter and see May Belle and Joyce Ann watching _Once Upon a Time, _which is also one of Leslie's favorite television shows. She can watch it online, though, since she has a MacBook Air and an Internet connection.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" I ask while grabbing a bottle of milk from the fridge.

"Did you forget? Today's one of Dad's friends birthday party," Joyce Ann answers. "And they won't be coming home tonight."

I pour the milk in a mug. "Oh, right."

May Belle comes to me and whispers, "How was it?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "They didn't talk much except for Geometry," I say, which is the half-truth. "Don't tell Leslie that I spied on her, all right? Pass the message to Joyce Ann."

May Belle just grins and goes back to the living room. I trust that May Belle knows how to keep a secret now_—_even Joyce Ann. I don't need to worry, right?

After I'm done drinking my milk, I put the mug on the sink and go to my room. May Belle and Joyce Ann use Ellie and Brenda's room, so I have the whole room to myself now.

My drawings of the castle of Terabithia, Prince Terrien, the Terabithian Warriors, and many others concerning Terabithia are still attached on the wall.

I sit on my bed and get one of my sketchbooks under the pillow. This color blue sketchbook is special.

I open the sketchbook and flip the pages until the drawing of my Queen in oil pastel appears. Leslie's sitting on a chair while smiling, her long, wavy blond hair falling down gracefully around her body. I caress the face. My drawings of my Queen can fill an art museum. Leslie doesn't know about my drawings of her, of course. I'm sure she'll freak out if she knows about this.

_Groban loves Leslie. Leslie loves I-Don't-Know. It can't be me_, I think. _There's really a possibility that it's Groban._

That thought sends a chill through me, though. _Is she even thinking of having a boyfriend?_

I sigh. I wish I could read her mind when it comes to whom she loves. Good grief! Why is love so complicated?

Downstairs, I hear my two sisters cheer, "Yey! Pizza!"

_Oh crap! She's already here!_

I quickly hide my sketchbook under the pillow and pretend to sleep while facing the wall, my blanket all over me except for my head.

I hear the door open and Leslie says, "Jess?"

I gulp and close my eyes. _Please believe that I'm asleep! Wait, why am I pretending that I am sleeping? Oh, right. Because I can't face Leslie at the moment because of this guilt I'm feeling inside._

She shouldn't know that I spied on her. If she knows about it, then that would be a disaster.

Leslie sits on my bed and I can feel her eyes staring at the back of my head.

_Just act natural, Aarons._

Then, a hand starts combing through my hair in a comforting manner. It's been a long time since someone last combed my hair like that: my mom. She always did that when I was still a kid_—_especially when I had a nightmare.

I smile at the memory and, without me noticing, I truly fall asleep.

000

There's a light that is warm and comforting that draws me in, and I don't want to let go. It's like the honey, and I'm the craving bee. I smile to myself. I'm sure that this is a dream, but I don't want to wake up yet. Might as well enjoy it.

This time, the light feels closer than ever before, and I don't plan on letting go. I place an arm forward, hoping to grab onto the source, not wanting it to leave. I snuggle closer to it, hoping to relish in the feeling for as long as I can. I am content as I hold onto the warmth of the light. It feels so blissful, so joyous, and I take a deep breath because of it. I want more_—_to be closer to it than I already am.

I move myself once more, my arms finding something and wrapping around it. I lay my head down, and my body shifts so I can feel the warmth of the light even more. It feels so stable, so secure. If I open my eyes, the light and its warmth will go away. I don't want that to happen for now. I simply enjoy it while it is here, with me.

My smile grows tenfold. Despite all of my previous uncertainties, I'm now confident that this light and its warmth will not leave me. Not this time. I sigh softly, the actions bringing me courage.

As I slowly begin to open my eyes, my hold on the object increases. It feels so real, and I'm nervous that if it leaves, it will devastate me. However, many minutes have passed and it's still here, holding me.

My sense of confidence returns and my eyes continue to open, revealing what I'm holding onto. My vision is still hazy, and the many emotions coursing through me make it much harder to see.

Even so, through half-open eyes, I can see a beautiful blond lady sleeping next to me with a joyful smile plastered on her face.

* * *

**A/N:** Who are fans of _Once Upon a Time_ here? Young Snow White played by Bailee Madison, anyone? :3

Ah, and yes, I HIGHLY recommend you lot listen to Amazing Life by Britt Nicole. It's a great theme song for Jess and Leslie. If I just know how to make a music video, then I already made one featuring our favorite pair with that song. *sighs*

I'm sorry that this chapter is short, but that's where I really had to end chapter 7.

I'm glad that someone noticed the rhyming words last chapter. And that someone is Ashworth555. :D

"SO JESSE, YOU'RE GONNA SPY ON YOUR SEXILY-DRESSED 'GIRLFRIEND' TO MAKE SURE SHE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH ANOTHER GUY THAT SHE SHOULD BE DOING WITH YOU? WINK-WINK, NUDGE-NUDGE!" XD!  
Ahaha! That line of yours made me laugh, phillyboy! XD  
I hope you're happy on what Fred did in this chapter. And your predictions were great. While reading them, I was like "Whoa! I haven't really thought of these. Ehmehgehd mine was lame." XD

And diamond-in-the-rough22, your wish came true. :)

I noticed that many of you hate Nigel and Sarah. Maybe after reading this chapter, you'll hate Nigel more . . . ? This is so fun! And we'll see what will happen to the Sarah chapter. It's near!

Thank you so much for reviewing, readers! I'm feeling overwhelmed that you're having fun with this story. And I'm happy to announce that I'm already done drafting this story. There will be 17 chapters all in all, and a oneshot, which is kinda related to the story. But I'll be posting the oneshot after I'm done with "Unearthing Secrets."

I hope you liked this chapter, and please do Follow, Favorite, and Review! :3


	8. A Favor

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_So I'll hold you tonight like I would if you were mine to hold forevermore_  
_And I'll savor each touch that I've wanted so much to feel before, to feel before_  
_How beautiful it is_  
_Just to be like this_  
_—I Wanna Be With You by Mandy Moore_

**goo . gl / jjQOYs**

Chapter 8: A Favor

My eyes widen and I catch my breath.

Leslie. Sophia. Burke. Is. Sleeping. Next. To. Me.

My face starts to heat up as I watch her slim body rise and fall. This is something I have wanted for years: to be able to sleep in the same bed as Leslie.

I look at her face again. The moonlight seeps through the window, spilling over her skin, giving it an almost heavenly glow. A few years ago, Leslie had chin-length hair, giving her a tomboyish look. Now, as they cascade over her waist, they give her a more womanly look. I smile, taking in how much my best friend has blossomed over the years.

Maybe Leslie doesn't notice that many boys have started looking at her in awe ever since our freshman year started_—_including Groban. She also gained many friends and became one of the famous students in Lark Creek High. Yet, she is still the same Leslie Sophia Burke. Of course, as Leslie's king and knight in shining armor at the same time, I'll always be there to protect her from evil and harm.

Taking notice of our position, I shudder, taking a small breath. One of Leslie's legs is in-between mine, her head has settled right above my chest, her fingers are also gingerly pressed against my chest, and my free arm is hugging her waist, making Leslie closer to me. I just need to relax. But then again, you can't relax when the person you love is right here sleeping next to you.

The blanket is halfway down from our waists, and I get to see she's still wearing her dress, without the denim jacket to cover her shoulders. Gulping, I reach to caress her shoulder and arm with my free hand. As expected, my Queen's skin is so soft. Feeling it against my fingers drives me crazy. She looks so beautiful and fragile at the same time.

I tilt my head downwards, and my nose softly collides with the top of her head. I freeze, and my light breathing catches the scent of her strawberry-flavored shampoo. My heart rate speeds up. Then, my hand goes to her angelic face, caressing it and lightly touch her soft, pinkish lips.

This intimacy, the warmth, the smell of her hair, and the feeling of her skin_—_I am intoxicated by all of it. I can hear Leslie's quiet breathing and, for some reason, it makes me feel even more comfortable and nervous at the same time.

However, there is still a small voice inside my head saying that I should stop what I'm currently doing, but I know full well that I'm not going to pass up such an opportunity when it is available.

_Leslie doesn't love you back, though,_ says my pessimistic side.

I lightly shake my head and turn to gaze at Leslie again, realizing how close our faces are. Immediately, her green eyes are staring right at me. I freeze, waiting for her reaction. The expression on her face, however, is not one of contempt or discomfort. Instead, she seems to be amused.

I smile uncertainly. "I . . . um . . . h-hey, Les." And I don't find it weird why in the world is my best friend here in the first place, but I still have to ask her later.

Leslie smiles back dreamily. "Hey, Jess." Then, her eyes suddenly widen and she sits up straight. "Er, I'm sorry, Jess. I—"

"It's okay, Les. I don't mind. Lie down again." I don't know where I'm getting my bravery. All I know is that I want her near me.

Leslie does so, but moves a little and rests her head on my pillow instead. I feel a little disappointed that she didn't put her head back on my chest.

I look at the clock on the wall.

_2:39 a.m._

"You slept early," she says.

I was already expecting she would say that, but I still can't help to chuckle nervously. "Y-yeah. You know what, er, household chores c-could do to you." And I'm lying again.

There's something in Leslie's expression that I see for the first time, but I can't quite grasp it. Does she know that I'm lying? The guilt is bubbling in my chest.

_Not now._

I try to change the subject. "How did you end up here, anyway?"

"Why? Am I not allowed to know what my King was doing on a Sunday afternoon?" she asks in a mockingly angry tone.

A laugh escapes my lips. "I know that. What I meant was how did you end up sleeping here?"

I notice that Leslie slightly blushes, probably because of embarrassment. "Well, May Belle and Joyce Ann insisted that I should sleep here because there's only the three of you in the house, and I relented," she explains. "I asked permission from my parents, and it's fine with them. Your two sisters also said that I should sleep here in your room since it's more spacious than their room."

A wistful smile slides across my face, and I start stroking my hand slowly on my Queen's golden hair. I feel her tense, but relaxes after a second. "Thank you, Les. I really appreciate it. You know what? I had a sweet and beautiful dream."

Her green eyes widen with interest. "Same here, Jess. There's this warmth of the light in my dream that I didn't intend to let go."

I grin. "Really? Whoa! That was also my dream. And it felt so comforting, peaceful, and happy. Don't you think so?"

Leslie giggles, and I miss hearing that right in front of me. "Maybe that's the reason why we ended up hugging each other while sleeping, huh?"

I suddenly feel embarrassed. "S-sorry—"

"No, Jess. Don't be," she says softly. "And besides, you and I know full well that we feel protected when we are together, right?"

I close my eyes with content. "Right."

"Maybe we should do this more often," Leslie says after a moment of silence. My eyes widen in shock, but she makes it sound like a joke than a statement. I'm not really sure. I hope it's the latter. Before I can reply, I am interrupted by a growling sound. My Queen laughs.

"What, my Queen?" I look at Leslie with a look of innocence. "I haven't eaten my dinner yet."

Leslie grins, and I do my best not to kiss her on the lips. "Well, my King, there's still pizza left for us in the fridge. We shall eat it."

000

I yawn as I copy the equations written on the board in my notebook. Mrs. McLean, our thirty-five-year old Geometry teacher, isn't in the room at the moment because she had to get something important from the principal's office.

"You look tired," Sarah states helpfully.

"Gee, thanks," I deadpan.

She giggles while fishing something from her pocket. "Here, I have an extra energy bar. Take it."

"Oh, um, no—"

"Really, Jesse, it's fine. And besides, you look like you're going to bang your head on the desk at any second."

What Sarah said is true since I feel very lightheaded. All that talking with Leslie while eating pizza until 4:30 a.m. was so fun that we almost forgot that we still have school in less than three hours. Weird, though, because she didn't bring up anything about her tutoring session with Nigel Groban, like she's already forgotten about it, which is fine with me, I guess. I didn't even dare to ask her about it, anyway. I mean, the guilty feeling would resurface and maybe I would have to lie to her again. Don't get me wrong, I really do feel guilty that I lied and pretended to my Queen, but I'll tell Leslie the truth soon_—_when the time is right for me.

I shyly accept her energy bar. "T-thanks, Sarah."

Sarah beams. "You're welcome, Jess." I notice that she's nice whenever Leslie's not around. Though if I'll ask her about their rivalry, maybe she'll say that I'm snooping around or something. I sigh mentally. _Can't Leslie and Sarah ever get along?_

"Um, Jess?"

"Yeah?" I say while tearing the wrapper.

"You're great when it comes to art, right? Oh, heck. Why did I even ask that? Of course you're great at art. I've already seen your wonderful works at the school's art room!" Sarah exclaims.

I rapidly turn to her. "Wait, what?"

"Anyway, have you already read _The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader_?" she asks.

I nod. "Yeah. Um, actually, I have read all of the Narnia books, and I love them." _And my Queen loves them, too,_ I silently add. Leslie lent her Narnia books to me years ago, and she said that she derived Terabithia from Terebinthia_: _a sovereign island-kingdom in the Great Eastern Ocean from the book.

Sarah starts twirling a lock of her hair on her hand. Why do most of the girls do that? "Well, can you do me a favor? Oh, I'm not bribing you or anything because of the energy bar."

"Um, er, okay," I relent, unsure of what else to say. "And that is . . . ?"

"Can you draw the Dawn Treader for me? I'm sure you know what that is," she says.

"Of course. That's the Narnian ship Prince Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, and the others used to sail beyond the Lone Islands and on to the unknown Eastern Ocean to seek the Seven Great Lords."

Sarah blinks. "Er, I don't know anything about the Lone Islands and the Seven Great Lords, but, yes, that's the ship all right. I didn't even know that you are a Narnia fan, Jess. You really are the perfect person for my favor. My younger brother would definitely love you."

I raise my eyebrows. "What?"

"Anyway, it's his birthday this Thursday and, well, he totally loves Narnia. And one of his favorites in the books is that ship. I thought that a drawing of it might be a perfect gift for my younger bro since he said that, for his eighth birthday, he wants something unusual for a gift. My brother's demanding, I know, but I still love him." She giggles. "That's the kind of gift I can think of, so if it's fine with you . . ."

I smile lightly. There's nothing wrong with her favor, right? "It's fine with me, Sarah. No problem. I'll start the drawing after school."

Sarah smiles back. "Really? Thank you so much, Jess! So, how much?"

I look at her blankly. "Huh?"

"How much for the drawing?"

I shake my head. "No need. It's for your brother, anyway."

"But I'm sure that all of your drawings are worth a fortune."

I feel embarrassed because of her praise. Though my drawings of Leslie Burke are the only ones I consider worth a fortune. "Think of it a-also as my g-gift to him."

Sarah grins. "Fine. Say, can you draw it at my place after school? If you're not busy, that is."

At their house? Maybe Leslie wouldn't mind if I'll tell her the reason why I'm going to Sarah's house after school. "I'm not busy. Sure."

Her eyes sparkle. "That's great! I'll see you at the front of the building after school, all right?"

"All right."

000

"Princess! Oh, Princess!" the Queen calls for me in a girly tone.

"Y-yes, Mother! What is it?" I ask, my voice unusually higher and embarrassed.

"Tonight is, um, your sixteenth birthday party. Hurry up and get, er, dressed."

Despite of my embarrassment, I hide a smirk. "Yes, Mother."

The Queen exits and the narrator_—_who is Alice_—_tells her lines. After that, she nods at me, indicating that it's my turn to speak. I'm pretending to sew clothes while sitting on a chair, and notice a spinner. I go to it and clear my throat. "My! I w-wonder what t-t-this i-is . . ."

I touch the spinner's needle. "Aaahhhhh," I say in a monotone and flop to the floor.

"What's my line here again? Oh, right." The Queen coughs. "My Princess is dead! My darling Princess Aurora!" The Queen kneels down and pretends to sob. I take a peek to see the Queen, and I can't help chuckling to myself. Seeing this person like this is so awkward. But then again, we're in the same situation.

Joenabie Wolff, Kezia Randall, and Chaelly McGuire_—_who are the Three Fairies_—_appear and come to our side.

"No, your Majesty," Kezia says. "Princess Aurora is only asleep . . ."

"Just like my gift from sixteen years ago," Chaelly continues.

"Now, all we can do is wait for the right prince who will awaken Princess Aurora," Joenabie finishes.

"And cut!" Ms. Thompson declares. "Great job, everyone! Though, Jesse, dear, put more emotions in your lines and practice more so that you'll not stutter in what you'll say. And, Scott, dear, you should really memorize your lines. You always keep forgetting them. But overall, a job well done. Props team, please come forward!"

I just nod while Scott says, "Yes, Ms. T-Thompson."

I smile teasingly at Scott Hoager. Yep, he's the Queen. "How come you agreed to this? Is it because of the fifty points deduction?"

Scott glowers at me. "Shut up, Jesse. Even I can't do anything about it, can I? We're being blackmailed by that no-good teacher."

Gary Fulcher suddenly appears beside Scott. "Actually, Jess, Scott didn't back out because he has a crush on Ms. Thomp—"

Gary doesn't get to finish his sentence as Scott gets a random book from someone's desk and slams it on his face. I wince. "Watch your mouth, Gary. How many times do I have to remind your stupid brain that I don't have a crush on her?"

Gary snickers while rubbing his nose. "Yeah, right. We can perfectly see your _invisible_ pink cheeks."

"Scott, dear, can you come here for a second?" Ms. Thompson calls before Scott can reply. He gives me and Gary a death glare before walking away like a robot.

Gary smirks at me. "Well, what do you know? He _really_ does have a crush on her."

I smirk back. "Yeah, but it's not his fault that Ms. Thompson is beautiful. Not my type, though."

"I guess I have to agree on that," he says, then walks away to join the discussion of the props team since he's one of them. I suddenly remember Ms. Edmunds, my former crush when I was in fifth grade. She's still teaching at Lark Creek Elementary School, and Leslie and I still visit her sometimes.

"What's your type, then?" someone whispers in my ear. I suddenly back away, and then realize it's just Sarah.

She giggles. "You're so cute when you're surprised, Jess. Sorry about surprising you, though. So, what's your type on a girl?"

I blush furiously. This is the first time that someone asked me that kind of question. _What's my type on a girl?_ _I__ntelligent, creative, beautiful, and can make the sun's rays pass through the dark, gloomy clouds. Hey, that's Leslie Burke._ "Um, I-I don't k-know . . ."

Sarah's eyes are weirdly twinkling. "Hmmm, really? Anyway, don't forget about after school."

"D-don't worry. I won't."

The bell rings, and Ms. Thompson dismisses us.

"See you later, Jess," Sarah says cheerfully and winks before heading for the door. What's the wink for? I just nod and smile a little.

I notice Leslie's following Sarah with her gaze. Then, she turns sharply at me, her green eyes narrowing. "Is there something I should know about, Jess?"

I cringe at her tone, which seems like she's accusing me of something. Oh, right. I still haven't told her about Sarah's favor. I rub the back of my neck nervously. "Well . . ." I falter.

Suddenly, I have a good idea. Well, I _really_ hope it is a good idea. "Les, I have something to tell you."

* * *

**/ /Edited 07-20-13 (Thanks, phillyboy!)**

**Review Responses:**

lillypop: I'm sorry, but there will only be Jess and Leslie fluffy scenes. Still, I hope you found the first part of chapter 8 cute and sweet. Don't worry, though. There will be more JxL fluffiness coming your way! ;)

diamond-in-the-rough22: Oooh, so that's the word I was looking for: filler. Thank you! I was all "What do you call a short chapter, but is so important for the story's plot? Meh. Never mind." XD  
And thank you so much for your compliment! I hope chapter 8 kinda made up a bit for the filler. And about your last paragraph . . . hmmm, we'll see. :D

Ashworth555: Sorry for giving you a suspenseful week! Hihi. And, yeah, Jess is so dense and pessimistic. Why, Jess? WHY?!

phillyboy: The closing and opening of Jesse's eyes . . . seriously, I HAVEN'T thought of that until reading your review. Great job that even the author of the story didn't notice it, so I'm not the clever one. You are, phillyboy! :D  
And we'll know in the future chapters if Leslie really did know that Jess spied on her at Pizzalicious. Mwehehehe! Haha toast, butter, jam, honey, and blonde honey. And squigers. Loved those!  
I'm sure that Fred would be so flattered about what you said to him. :3  
". . . replaced by the cold, harsh light of . . . well, daylight!" I found that really funny! But it really is the truth. Oh well. And a Jesse and Sarah kissing scene? Hoho! :D

And a special thanks to Ashworth555, richard kayser, and G-Matt for reviewing ever since _Unearthing Secrets_ started! :D

**A/N: **Lookie, as of typing this Author's Note, it's currently 1 in the morning here. I did not sleep yet just to update this story for you, dear readers. I was supposed to be at bed by 10p.m. because my brain's a total whack from our third examinations a while ago, but I still updated. See how much I love you lot. :3**  
**

Your reviews are awesome, by the way. They made me so happy! I hope you enjoyed reading chapter 8, though, especially the first part. I had a fun time writing it. If you did, please do Follow, Favorite, and Review! :3

And I envy all of the people who attended this year's San Diego Comic Con. That is all. T.T


	9. Sarah Bradfield

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

**A/N: Edited bunch of errors again from the previous chapters. And thanks much to phillyboy for pointing out the grammar errors in chapter eight.**

* * *

_I will follow him, follow him wherever he may go_  
_There isn't an ocean too deep_  
_A mountain so high it can keep me away_

_I must follow him, ever since he touched my hand I knew_  
_That near him I always must be_  
_And nothing can keep him from me_  
_He is my destiny  
__—I Will Follow Him by Little Peggy March_  


**goo . gl / Y1Zdeu**

Chapter 9: Sarah Bradfield

I see Sarah leaning on a tree at the front of Lark Creek High School, and I suddenly feel nervous.

"H-hey, Sarah," I greet as I come near her.

"Hey, Jesse," Sarah greets in return with a beaming smile, but her face falls as she sees who's beside me. "Oh, hello, Burke. Fancy seeing you here."

Leslie smiles innocently. "Hello, too, Bradfield. Well, it's a small school, and my best friend invited me to come, so . . ."

Sarah suddenly faces me and shrieks, "You what?!"

I gulp while scratching the back of my head with one hand to ease my nervousness. I made a promise to myself not to regret my decision. And that's final. "Um, I kinda forget how the Dawn Treader really looks like, and Leslie's a Narnia fan more than I am, so I asked her to come with me for any questions and clarifications," I reason. "I can't ask your brother, can I? I mean, what if he gets an idea or something?" I already told Leslie about Sarah's planned gift for her younger brother, and she agreed immediately, which made me to sigh in relief.

"Why didn't you ask your questions while you were talking to her earlier, Jesse?" Sarah asks with a scowl.

"Bradfield," Leslie says with seriousness before I can reply, "I believe that it's much better if I'm there with Jesse so that I could check and tell him right away if there are any errors while he's drawing and, you know, to protect him from you."

_Wait, what?_

Sarah frowns again. "What are you talking about, Burke?"

Leslie smirks, which makes me kinda uneasy. "Oh, you know full well what I am talking about. I mean, you're the Witch, and Jess is the Princess."

"And you're the Prince_—_the one who's going to ruin my plans. Well, I won't let that happen."

Leslie just smiles innocently again.

I don't know where they're getting at, but I know that I have to say something now.

"Er, Sarah?" I say. She faces me with an unreadable expression on her face, and I gulp. "Actually, I want to ask my questions before I draw. It's easier for me that way. I hope you'll understand and let Leslie come with us . . ."

Sarah looks at Leslie again with disapproval, but sighs in resignation. "_Fine_. For my brother."

"And besides," I continue, "maybe with this, you two will get along—"

"Not gonna happen!" Leslie and Sarah interrupt at the same time, arms crossed over their chests.

I slap my forehead mentally. "Look, I don't know why you two hate each other, but—"

Sarah raises an eyebrow at me. "Really, Jess?" Then she smirks at Leslie. "So, you haven't told him yet? You want me to say it to him instead, Burke?"

Leslie glares daggers at Sarah. "He's not yet ready, Bradfield."

"_He's _not yet ready? Maybe _you're_ the one who's not yet ready because you're scared that he'll choose me over you."

My eyes dart to Leslie and Sarah in confusion. "Wait, 'not ready' for what?" I ask before Leslie can reply. Now this is really confusing, and I don't have any clue on what they're talking about. If it's about girl stuff, then I don't want to be a part of it.

The two ignore me, and Sarah starts to lean dangerously on Leslie's face, her brown eyes narrowing. "But still, I love this rivalry we have, Burke. You're definitely going down."

Leslie smirks as she levels with Sarah with fierce green eyes. "We shall see, Bradfield."

I interject between them before a volcano explodes. "Um, shouldn't we be going now?"

Sarah takes a step back from Leslie, and I inwardly sigh in relief. "Yes. My Dad's already waiting. Follow me."

000

I gape at the sight I'm looking at as we get out of Sarah's family car, which is a gray Mercedes-Benz. Their two-story Victorian house has a wrap-around porch, which surrounds the entry and the turret housing the den, and then continues around the side and back of the house.

I turn to Leslie and see that she has a bored look on her face, still chewing a gum. I guess she's not impressed because they're also rich and have a grand house.

Sarah introduced us to Jasper Bradfield_—_her dad and a businessman_—_after getting in their car. I was sitting between Leslie and Sarah in the back seat for the whole trip. My Queen was just gazing out the window while chewing a gum and listening to music using her earphones. I couldn't even talk to her because she was, like, shutting me off, and Sarah kept talking about her brother's planned birthday party to me. I only replied with nods, yeahs, and ahs since I didn't really know what to say and was worrying about Leslie.

Sarah's dad bids us good-bye, saying that he still has a business meeting to attend. We thank and tell him to be careful. With a smile, he drives off.

"You all right?" I ask Leslie.

"Yes, even though I'm at enemy territory."

I chuckle awkwardly. "I'm sure everything will be fine. We're together."

She smiles slightly. "I hope so."

"Why are you two still standing there?" Sarah calls, already at their front door. "Come on in!"

We follow her inside. Their color white living room is so spacious and has a lot of classy furniture.

"My mom is still not around. You go to my room upstairs. It's the first door to the right. I'll just help Elizabeth prepare the snacks," Sarah says while going to the kitchen.

"O-okay," I say, and Leslie just shrugs nonchalantly.

"Too girly," Leslie says with a face as she switches on the fluorescent light of Sarah's bedroom. I see pink everywhere as we enter, then squat on the color pink carpet.

I get my sketchbook and number two pencil from my bag. "What does the Dawn Treader look like again, Les?" I ask.

Leslie thinks for a moment. "Well, she has a gilded bow, resembling a dragon's head and has wings," she answers by heart. "The dragon wings run along the port and starboard sides. A single mast extends from the center of the main deck, and holds a single, large, square, purple sail. The color of the hull is a rich green, with smooth, flowing lines from bow to stern. She also has an upper deck, lower deck, and oars on the side."

I do my best to write all of the information in the back of my sketchbook. I thank Leslie, envision the image on my mind, and then sketch the dragon's head first.

There's only the sound of my sketching and erasing on the paper for a moment until Leslie asks something out of the ordinary, "Jess, what do you think of Bradfield?"

I pause and face her. "What?"

The door suddenly opens before Leslie can say anything more and Sarah pops in, carrying a tray with a middle-aged lady_—_which I believe is to be Elizabeth. They put the trays on the floor. Sarah introduces Elizabeth Jenkins to us. Leslie and I say our hellos with a smile. Elizabeth smiles back and says "Such lovely children" before going out of the room.

"Elizabeth's not only our maid," Sarah says as she gets a cracker on a plate from the tray, and squats to my right_—_making me in-between them again. "We also treat her as a part of our family. She started taking care of me when I was five years old."

"That's nice," I reply as Sarah gives me and Leslie a glass of orange juice.

"Thanks," Leslie says flatly.

Sarah smirks. "Gosh, Burke, lighten up a bit."

"It seems that I can't because I don't see any novels around here, Bradfield."

"Then go to my brother's room. He has tons of novels in there."

"Maybe later."

I pretend not to hear them and just concentrate on my drawing.

The door suddenly opens again and a black-haired boy with blue eyes comes in. "Sarah! Oh, you have visitors."

"Lance!" Sarah cries. Startled, I immediately hide my sketchbook under her bed. Leslie helps by blocking Lance's view. Thank God for her quick thinking.

"Hmm, you're handsome, but your sister is ugly," Leslie muses.

The boy laughs. "I agree!"

Sarah glowers at them. "Shut up, Burke. Lance, what do you want?"

"What? You're not going to introduce me to these new faces?" Lance whines.

Sarah rolls her eyes. "Lance, this is Jesse Aarons. That girl over there is Burke. They are my classmates in Literature. Jesse and Burke, this is Lance: my younger brother."

Leslie hums. "Actually, Bradfield, I have a first name. It's _Leslie_."

Sarah rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

"Hi, Lance," Leslie and I greet at the same time.

"Ah. Hi, Leslie," Lance says, and then his eyes widen when he looks at me. Is there something on my face? "You're that Jesse Aarons? The one who's also Sarah's classmate in Geometry?"

I look at him blankly. "Y-yes. Why—"

"Whoa! Do you know that Sarah and her group of friends talk about you most of the time whenever they have a sleepover here? They said that you're cool and artistic and your jawli—"

Sarah clamps a hand on Lance's mouth fiercely. "You brat! We didn't even say those things."

Lance wrestles away from his sister's grip, and sticks his tongue out. "I _so_ believe you."

"If you're going to continue babbling such nonsense, I'll not give your gift this Thursday."

"What?!" he shrieks. "But that's blackmailing!"

She smirks. "My point exactly."

"Whatever." Lance turns to me. "Hey, what were you drawing?"

"I-I wasn't d-drawing," I lie.

"What's that pencil you're holding for, then?"

"Hey, Lance," Leslie interrupts, and I thank God again she does so. "I heard from your _dearest_ sister here that you love to read books."

Lance's attention is now at Leslie, his eyes beaming. "Yep! I have _Fablehaven_, _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_, _Spooksville_, _Jake Ransom_, _Harry Potter_, and my most favorite: _The Chronicles of Narnia_," he shares. "They're all complete, and I have already finished reading all of them, mind you. Wanna see?"

Even Leslie's eyes are beaming. Yes, the feelings of the bookworms. "_The Chronicles of Narnia_ is my favorite, too. And of course I want to see your collection, Lance."

"Yeah, do the geek stuff," Sarah says. "And that _later_ is _now_, Burke."

"Let's go!" Lance exclaims, grabs Leslie's wrist, and then heads for the door. Leslie's eyes meet mine, and I immediately understand what her message is: _Continue drawing while I'm talking to Lance._

Then, they're gone. Leslie sacrificed herself so that I can finish the gift for Lance. Not that I blame the child. It's just me and Sarah in the room now, and I suddenly feel uncomfortable. But I don't show it to her. I hope Sarah doesn't notice my uneasiness.

She sighs in relief. "I hate to admit it, but I guess I have to thank Burke for that." Sarah faces me, and my uneasiness grows tenfold. "Sorry about my brother, Jess. He can be _so_ meddlesome most of the time, especially when I have visitors. He's always looking for attention. Gosh! If he's still here, who knows when will that drawing be finished."

"N-no worries. I know that you still l-love him," I stammer.

Sarah laughs. "Duh! He's my only sibling."

"Lance's kinda talkative," I state as I get my sketchbook under Sarah's bed. Remembering when I was seven years old, I was very silent, not talking to anyone except for my family and when someone asks me a question. Then, that all changed when Leslie came into my life.

"I know, right? But sometimes, he doesn't even want to go to school so that he can just read inside his room. The horror for his social life!"

I crack a smile and continue to draw. "Nah. I'm sure he'll do great."

"Yeah. Say, Jess, you have siblings, right?"

I nod mildly. "I'm the t-third and only boy. The r-rest are g-g-girls."

Sarah smiles sweetly. "That's kinda cute, you know."

I just shrug, not knowing what to reply to that. I also can't help to feel a blush rise on my cheeks.

_What the heck?!_

Then, Sarah starts talking about random stuff and her favorites while I'm drawing, and that kind of makes me less uncomfortable with her. Sort of.

I learn that she loves to listen to The Wanted, Train, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Avril Lavigne. Her favorite television shows are_ Glee_, _Teen Wolf_, and_ The Carrie Diaries_. I haven't heard any of them, except for that singer Avril Lavigne.

I think of Leslie's favorites. I know them by heart, of course. Her favorite singers are Sara Bareilles, Britt Nicole, Owl City, Jon McLaughlin, and Christina Grimmie. Her favorite television shows are_ Once Upon a Time_, _Big Bang Theory_, and _Sherlock_. Leslie and Sarah have different tastes, I conclude.

After a while, it's hard for me to draw now while I'm listening to Sarah, but I don't tell her this. I mean, I don't want to sound rude. It's nice of her to keep me company, though.

Then, I wonder how Leslie's doing right now. I suddenly want her here beside me, checking the progress of my drawing. Maybe I shouldn't have let her leave the room. But if I did that, then the surprise would be ruined.

A phone starts ringing. Sarah checks her iPhone, and I see a brief annoyance cross her face. "Oh, a call from Diana. Must be about the costume. I'll leave you alone for a while, Jess."

I give a slight nod, then she goes to her room's balcony. I continue sketching the oars. Half of the ship is already done, but there's still the coloring. Good thing that I brought my coloring materials.

I don't notice how many minutes or hours have passed. I just concentrate on drawing. It's a good feeling when you're drawing to your heart's content, but great if my Queen is currently here at my side.

With the added touches to the tail, I get my coloring materials from my bag, and then start to put life on the Dawn Treader. I can hear Sarah laughing from the balcony, probably talking about girl stuff now with Diana.

After combining the colors, Sarah walks in and I let her see the outcome.

"Whoa!" she exclaims. I add another strike of orange on the sky. The Dawn Treader is now sailing at the Last Sea while the sun sets, semi-facing the front.

Sarah grins. "Okay, _double_ whoa! I'm so glad that I thought of this. Your drawing is perfect, Jess!"

"Thanks, S-Sarah," I say shyly, though I feel relieved that she likes the drawing. I hope that Lance will like it, too.

Sarah shakes her head. "No, Jesse. I should be the one who's thanking you, so thanks a million. I'm sure Lance would love this. I'll have your drawing framed tomorrow. Oh, could you add the 'to' and 'from'?"

I add "To: Lance Bradfield" and "From: Sarah Bradfield" on the upper right side of the paper using my own artistic font_—_the one that is Leslie's favorite.

"Add your name at the 'from,' too," she says, then pauses. "And Burke's. You two are invited to Lance's birthday party this Thursday. I'm sure he would love it."

I smile gratefully at Sarah, and then write my name and Leslie's. I rip the paper from the sketchbook and give it to Sarah as we both stand up.

"You don't have to be shy if you're with me, Jess. Especially if we're alone together."

"U-um . . ." Is it really that obvious?

Sarah smiles sweetly, and then does an unexpected thing: she stands on her tiptoes, places her arms around my neck, brings her face just inches from mine, and closes her eyes.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

richard kayser, lillypop, and danni98: Thank you so much! :D

bt2: You're so sweet! I hope that you're still alive, and that chapter nine made your day or night. And no worries, there will be more JxL cute scenes in the future chapters. :3

phillyboy: I just want Leslie to have longer hair. She's more beautiful with longer hair for me. The boys would definitely be jealous if they knew that Jesse and Leslie slept together, especially Nigel, I think. XD  
And sorry that I, er, _unintentionally_ skipped their late-night comfy-kitchen talk. Don't worry, though. They just talked about Terabithia stuff, I guess. Haha! And, no, phillyboy, I'm not a troll. *shows my angelic face again*  
Well, if they did have an intimate talk with each other, then there _would_ definitely be a make-out session. I mean, no parents in the house, and Jess' younger sisters are sleeping. They will suddenly stop talking as they realize their closeness, stare at each other's eyes, start leaning, and then kiss . . . and more, I guess. Yep, I'm definitely not a troll. XD  
LOL I could totally imagine Leslie hiding in the coat closet eavesdropping at the two. Too bad she's at another room that time, so yes, it's private.  
And about Jess feeling guilty about his spying . . . well, that's from my personal experience. Please don't ask. And, yes, I am weird. XD  
Sarah's sneaky, but we all know that she wants something from Jesse. I'm not sure what that 'something' is, though. :3  
Evil magic. And Sarah is 'The Witch' in their Sleeping Beauty play. XD  
I assure you that Ms. Thompson is a normal human being, and that she isn't related to Leslie. Er, maybe . . . ?  
Remember in chapter three that after Leslie tutored Gary and Scott in Math, they started to become nice to the Terabithian Twins and, after a few years, became friends. But what you said are also right.  
Believe me, you don't want to see Leslie's expression like that, especially when those emerald lasers are directed to Jesse, or even to you. You couldn't sleep for days!  
And I'll use your idea, the one-way ticket on the Dawn Treader, as a last resort for Jess, even when Leslie would surely find him. XD  
Yay for 'Sophia' indeed! :D

Ashworth555: I believe that scene means the world to you. :D  
"Jess, your pessimistic side is so stupid!" and "Even Jess' stomach is stupid to interrupt their conversation while lying on the bed." I agree with you there. XD  
I think it's safe to say that you're right about Leslie's expression. How? I'll reveal that in the future chapters.  
"So Sarah and Nigel, you don't have any other choice but to back out." That made me laugh out loud. XDD  
And you're right that chapter nine is indeed the Sarah chapter. Free virtual Oreos for you!

G-Matt: I'm glad that you found the bed scene cute. :3

**A/N:** Now, maybe you're all wondering why I updated late. I just wanted to prepare for my finals for our first term and, yes, I also had busy weeks. But my first term has officially ended. Huzzah! But I'm still sorry for the late update.

Thanks much to Wikipedia for the description of the Dawn Treader since I'm too lazy to search it in the book myself. Haha!

And I laugh whenever I listen to "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March. Imagine Leslie following Jesse with that song. Funny, right?! Er . . . . I blame the "Sherlock: The Musical" video on YouTube. That song's featured in that video, and I laughed to the max whenever that song kept repeating itself, and then . . . . . . . . did I mention that I'm weird?

**Fact:** Some of the books, television shows, and singers mentioned in this chapter are included in my favorites.

* * *

**BONUS**

Author: *hugs Leslie* I'm sorry for what I did to the last part of this chapter, Les. Don't get me wrong, I ship you and Jesse, but _the last part_ would be really nice. The readers would get all hyped, that's why phillyboy requested for a Sarah and Jesse kissing scene. You understand me, right?

Leslie: *shakes head furiously* NOOOOOOO! Why did you listen to him?! Jess should be my first kiss! You know that, Chem!

Author: *releases Leslie from the hug* Yes, I do know that. Well, we'll see in the next chapter if Sarah will indeed kiss Jesse. You never know what I'll do.

Leslie: *nods* I believe in you, Chem. No matter what happens.

Author: *grins widely* Yes, Leslie. Just believe in me.

Jesse: Um, what are you guys talking about?

Author: Uh-oh. I better get out of here, fast. *runs away like a ninja*

Jesse: Hey! Where are you going?!

Sarah: *smiles sweetly* They were just talking about our kissing scene for the next chapter, Jesse.

Jesse: Wait, what?!

Leslie: In your dreams, Bradfield! You two are _not _going to have a kissing scene!

Sarah: Shut up, Burke! As if you know what will happen.

Leslie: As if you know what will happen, too!

Jesse: Um . . .

Nigel: Can someone please tell me when I will appear in the story again?!

Author: (in a far-away voice) Secret!


	10. Stargazing

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_I see you like a star in the sky _  
_And I love it _  
_Yeah, the light in yours eyes _  
_And I wonder _  
_When you're looking in mine _  
_Do you see them _  
_Like a star in the sky?  
____—Like a Star by Britt Nicole_

**goo . gl / fkjlI1**

Chapter 10: Stargazing

Before I can react, Sarah kisses me on the cheek. My mouth forms an "o" as she lowers herself from her toes, softly drops her arms to her sides, and giggles. My face flushes. "You really are cute when you're blushing, Jess," she says. "And again, thank you so much for the drawing."

"Y-you're w-welcome," I stammer. No one has kissed me on the cheek before, except for my mom and sisters.

"By the way, Jesse," Sarah says. "Can we take a picture together?"

"Oh, er, I'm shy whenever there's a camera." I remember when after Leslie received her iPhone, she always took pictures of Terabithia and us together, which I was shy to do at first that I would cover my face with my sketchbook. Leslie kept insisting that a king and queen should have pictures together. And Leslie even has stolen shots of me. She put a password on "Jesse's Stolen Shots" folder in her phone so that I can't delete them. I tried cracking the password, but failed. If only I have a camera . . .

Sarah giggles. "Don't be silly. You look great. Please?" She gives me her puppy-dog eyes.

"Thanks, I guess. Okay, t-then," I relent.

She positions her iPhone's camera in front of us. "I'll be using the back camera since it has a clearer quality than the front. Okay, one, two, three!"

I smile lightly as I hear a clicking sound.

The door opens and Leslie comes in. She freezes with wide eyes as I look at her, like a deer caught in the headlights, and I don't even know why. Then, I realize that Sarah and I are standing in close proximity. I suddenly back away from her, though I think I'm still blushing. Maybe Leslie thinks it's indecent that her best friend was in that kind of position with her rival.

Leslie crosses her arms while raising a slender eyebrow. "Did I miss something special?" she asks darkly.

Before I can reply to her, Sarah says, "Yes, Burke. But that doesn't concern you, does it?"

Leslie just glowers at Sarah, and by the look on her face, I think she's passing a warning to her that I can't decipher. Sarah smirks, like she just won a debate or something. There it is again, the heat waves_—_or should I say, "hate waves."

"You two should stay here for dinner," Sarah decides while heading for the door. "I'll tell Elizabeth to prepare for dinner and talk to Lance."

"I already called Mom and told her where we are, Jess," Leslie says flatly as Sarah closes the door. "I also told her to pass the message to your parents."

"Thanks, Les. Hey, you didn't miss anything special." I get the drawing on the bed, and then give it to my Queen to put her in a good mood. "For me, the drawing's not finished until you see it with your own two eyes. So, how is it?"

Leslie laughs, and I give her a puzzled look, wondering what's funny. "Oh, er, nothing, Jess." Then, she beams, her anger already forgotten. "Anyway, you really do have artistic hands, my King. The Dawn Treader looks alive. Scratch that. It _is _alive."

I can feel butterflies swarming in my stomach as I bow on one knee. "All thanks to you, my Queen." Then, we both laugh. I'm glad that she's feeling easy now.

"And look." I point at the upper right corner of the drawing with a crooked smile. "Sarah said to include your name, too. I bet that she's secretly thanking you for your help."

Leslie smiles a little. "Say, did Diana call Bradfield?"

"Well, yeah. They probably talked about the costume and such for hours, I think. Why? Did she call you, too?"

Her smile widens, and I don't dare to ask what's currently on my Queen's mind. "Kind of. Thank you."

Lance opens the door, then grins. "Dinner's ready, you guys."

000

After dinner, we say our good-byes to Elizabeth, Lance, and Sarah at their front door. Elizabeth excuses herself as she goes inside. Lance and Sarah's parents haven't arrived yet, so Leslie and I decide to walk home instead.

"But it's dangerous to walk in this kind of hour," Sarah objects. It's almost nine o'clock when I last checked the time.

Leslie waves her off. "We're not scaredy-cats, Bradfield."

"I'm concerned about Jesse's safety. Not yours, Burke," Sarah scoffs.

"Such a caring heart," Leslie says sarcastically.

"Really, it's fine, Sarah," I say. "And besides, we don't want to be a burden to your parents by driving us home."

"It's not a burden," she insists. "Even Dad, Lance, and Elizabeth like you already."

"Huh?"

Lance runs to Leslie, and hugs her knees. "You'll come to my birthday party, right?" he asks the two of us with puppy-dog eyes.

Leslie bends down and ruffles his hair. "Of course, Lance."

I give him a high-five. "We won't forget."

Lance beams. "You'll also give me a gift, right?"

Sarah, Leslie, and I share knowing looks. "Yep," Leslie answers.

He shouts a "wohoo!" before running inside their house. Sarah rolls her eyes.

"Good-bye and thanks again for everything. Take care, especially to you, Jess," she says.

I chuckle awkwardly while Leslie smirks. "By the way, Bradfield. I learned that you peed in your pants in a dental clinic when you were six years old, and you just realized that there's a restroom not ten feet away from where you were sitting."

Sarah blinks for a few seconds before realizing Leslie's message. She screams "Lance!" in frustration and rushes inside the door, but not before giving Leslie a glare.

Leslie laughs out loud and, again, I give her a confused look.

"Don't worry," she says as we start walking away from the Bradfields' house. "Lance already knows what to do."

Minutes have passed and we're now walking besides each other at the side of the highway. Hardly any cars have passed the road. Overhead, a crescent moon grins down at us behind the ragged wisps of clouds, helping the street lights to guide our way safely.

"So, how was your time with Lance, my Queen?" I begin while putting my hands in my pockets.

She giggles. "Oh, quite fun, actually. We talked and exchanged stories for hours! Lance's such an intelligent child, unlike her sister. I learned from him, and he learned something from me. We even took pictures together on my phone. I'll show them to you later."

I laugh. "Don't say that. Sarah's also intelligent," I say. "Hey, you and Lance should exchange books."

"Yeah, we already planned that, but not for now. Then, Lance shared an embarrassing moment of his sister_—_the one you heard a while ago. But I'm not going to share it to others or anything. I'm not that evil."

I make a face. "That's the problem with siblings. They'd tell you anything! Good thing that you knew my embarrassing moments from me and not from my sisters. That would be horrible and super embarrassing."

Leslie and I exchanged some of our embarrassing moments years ago, and we only kept them to ourselves, of course. That's what best friends do, right?

But she gives me a sly smile. "Actually, your mom shared to me an embarrassing moment of yours that you didn't tell me."

I freeze in my tracks as my jaw drops to the ground.

_Did I hear her right?_

Leslie also stops walking, a few steps ahead from my position, and turns around to look at me teasingly. "It was two weeks ago, the day when you were watering the plants outside of your house," she continues. "I was waiting for you in your kitchen so that we could go to Terabithia after you're done with your chores. Mrs. Aarons was cooking that time. Then, she started talking about when you were just three years old."

My eyes widen in fear. I think I know this one.

_Oh, no, no, no!_

"She said that you and your family were attending your cousin's birthday party," Leslie says with a mischievous look on her face. "You were in their living room watching television, and then you started dancing and trying to sing when the music video of 'Barbie Girl' showed up." I try to block her voice, which is very pointless. "Then, everyone in the room started laughi—"

"I was three years old back then," I defend. "I was still innocent to the world. And that song was Ellie and Brenda's favorite before. They would always play it in our house and it became my, er, what do you call it these days? Last song syndrome or something?"

My Queen bursts out laughing. I scowl. I didn't tell that to Leslie because it's my _most _embarrassing moment. Well, I hope that that will be my last most embarrassing moment. I didn't even expect Mom to share that to anyone. Now I just want to crawl in a hole and die.

"Why did you not share that to me, Jess?" Leslie says dramatically, and puts a hand over her heart. "I feel betrayed."

I roll my eyes. "I'm sure you also have your _most_ embarrassing moment that you haven't told me." Suddenly, I have an idea, then smirk at her. "Yet."

Leslie notices this, and then reads my mind. "Nuh-uh, Jess. I'll tell my parents _not _to share my most embarrassing moment to you."

I scowl again. "I'll bribe them with my awesome drawings, if that's the last thing I have to do."

She sticks her tongue out at me, and sings the freakin' evil chorus.

"_I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world  
__Life in plastic, it's fantastic!"__  
_

"You are _so _asking for it, Les," I threaten as I take a step towards her.

Leslie's eyes widen in fear as she realizes what I'm about to do, and runs away from me at full speed while I follow suit.

The air is so refreshing and the moon shines brightly tonight_—_perfect for an evening marathon run. Later, we are both laughing while running.

Leslie's running speed has decreased because of her laughter, and I immediately take advantage of this.

"Gotcha!" I cry as I wrap my arms around Leslie's waist from behind, and start tickling her on the ribs, armpits, and stomach, which are her ticklish spots that I accidentally learned a few years back_—_when I heard May Belle asked Leslie about it. Ever since, I tickle her on those spots most of the time. Leslie rarely gets her revenge, though. Yes, congratulate me. Thank you.

Leslie can't stop laughing, screaming and squealing. She even tries to escape from my wrath, but to no avail. "J—Jesse! T—that's—not—f-f-fair!" Leslie screams at the top of her lungs between laughs and squeals.

"Boo! Cry me an ocean. Life's unfair," I say as I keep my balance from her wriggling. Thankfully no cars still have passed on the road, or else we'll be accused as hooligans or something much worse.

After a few moments of giving Leslie her "torture-but-in-a-fun-way," she suddenly faces me, and I instantly catch my breath. Her skin and hair glow under the moonlight, just like the time when I woke up that morning to discover her sleeping next to me. Her beautiful emerald eyes seem like they're laughing, too.

She looks up at me, and then smiles sweetly while regaining her breath. "Why did you stop tickling me, my King?"

"Y-you surprised me, my Q-Queen," I croak.

Leslie cocks her head to the side in a cute way, then gazes past me to the sky. "Leo."

I turn my head slightly upwards to look where her attention is, and frown. "I don't see it."

"There." She points to the stars and traces what looks like a disfigured obtuse triangle.

I grin down at her, indicating that I already saw it. Leslie continues to gaze up ahead, looking for more constellations.

_She's one of the stars in the sky, _I think. Crap. I can't stop looking at her sparkling eyes.

I catch my breath again as I realize how close our faces are, her lips just a few inches from mine. If I duck my head just slightly, I will kiss her. I'm also hugging her around the waist, and her hands are gently resting on my shoulder blades. Leslie doesn't move, just continuing to watch the night sky with a faint smile, unaware of my inner struggles and burning face, I hope.

I gulp thickly, tear my gaze away before Leslie notices that I am staring at her, and release her from my arms. "We s-should get going. Who knows what will suddenly appear around here."

I think I see her frown for a second. Leslie raises an eyebrow. "Race you until the path to our houses, my King?" she challenges.

I smirk. "You are going to lose this time, my Queen."

000

After fifteen minutes of running, we reach the path that leads to our houses and, well, Leslie wins again. "Did you drink Gatorade earlier?" I ask while panting for air.

"No. Wait, give me a moment." Leslie inhales deeply, and then exhales. "Gosh, that feels so good. We haven't run like that for a long time."

"Les, we just ran like that last Wednesday during our track practice," I point out.

"Well, that's already a long time."

"For _you_, not for _me._" I give her a mock frown. "And I lost. Again."

"_Turn that frown upside down,_" she sings, then I laugh. As long as I'm running with Leslie, I really don't care if I lose or win.

"Jess?" Leslie says as we reach the front of their house.

I look at her. "What, Les?"

"Want to continue stargazing?"

My face lights up a smile. "Sure."

After going home to put my bag, drank water, and asked permission to my parents, I meet Leslie at the center of the cow pasture. We can hear a hoot from an owl somewhere in the forest and see fireflies swaying on the field and near the trees.

"You sure are excited, huh?" I say as I lie down next to her on the blanket she had prepared for the two of us, facing the stars.

Leslie's eyes are shining. "The stars are beautiful tonight, that's why."

"They're always beautiful." _Like you,_ I mentally add.

"You're right, Jess. Hey, talking about stars, this is a perfect song to play right now." Leslie fishes her iPhone from her pocket, taps something on the screen, and a music starts playing through the phone's speaker. "'Like a Star' by Britt Nicole," she informs me.

We listen for a while in silence while gazing at the stars. Then, Leslie starts singing with the singer when it's already the chorus.

I close my eyes in content. Listening to her singing is really a wonderful feeling.

_You're like a star in the sky to me, Les. And I love the light in your eyes. _I smile sadly. _Do you feel the same way about me, though? I guess you're a star that I can't reach._

As the song finishes, Leslie shows me her pictures with Lance Bradfield, and I can't stop staring at her face in the pictures. Even with her wacky expressions, she's still gorgeous.

Someday, Leslie will be the death of me.

After that, Leslie points out to the different constellations that can be seen in the sky. "There is Orion. In the Greek myth, Orion was a gigantic, supernaturally strong hunter of primordial times, born to Euryale, a nymph, and Poseidon," she explains. "On the left, I can see Gemini. Its name is Latin for twins, and is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux also in Greek mythology. They're the children of Leda and Argonauts both. Pollux was the son of Zeus, who seduced Leda, while Castor was the son of Tyndarus, King of Sparta and Leda's husband. And, well, it's a long story. We'll be here until midnight if I'll tell you every bit of it."

_I don't mind, Les, as long as you're the one who's talking__—_even if you're using an alien language_—_I could listen to you for the whole day. Instead, I just say, "Nerd."

Leslie punches me playfully on my arm. "I've been doing this since I was a kid, you know. Stargazing, I mean. I just miss it."

"Figures."

Leslie sighs. "Too bad there's no shooting star."

"Yeah. I haven't seen one in my entire life yet," I confess.

"Really? I have. Only once yet, though."

"Did you make a wish?"

Leslie giggles. "Of course, Jess! It's a rare opportunity. You have to make the best of it."

Curious, I ask, "Will your wish come true? When you wish after seeing a shooting star, I mean."

"Well, my wish came true, so yes, even though there's a quote by William Shakespeare that says, 'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.' You have to be patient, though."

"What did you wish for, then?"

"That I will have a best friend for the rest of my life," she answers softly.

My eyes widen and I turn to Leslie_—_who's already looking at me with a soft, heartwarming smile that will make guys go crazy, including me, of course. "I'm glad your wish came true, Les," I say.

Then she tackles me suddenly in a crushing hug, and cries. I am taken aback, but suddenly recover. Hugging her back while combing my fingers through her golden hair, I joke, "Are you crying because I'm not the best friend you've been looking for?"

Leslie shakes her head. "What the heck, Jess! I'm just crying because of happiness. That we moved here five years ago. That I met you. That we became friends, then best of friends. And that we shared many adventures, even now," she lists.

I bury my head on her hair and can smell her signature strawberry scent. "Same here, Les. Same here," I whisper in a soothing tone as my eyes start to water a little. Should I confess my feelings to her now?

_But she only loves you as a best friend, _my pessimistic side says.

_Crap._

Leslie leans against me, and I hold her quietly as she cries herself out. We stay like that for how many minutes, just enjoying the nature and each other's company.

I can feel her shaking against me, her heart thudding against my chest. It feels . . . so good . . . to hold Leslie like this, and that I'm here to comfort her. Her small body fits perfectly against mine.

"Sorry, Jess. I got your shirt wet," Leslie says when she already calms down.

I wipe a tear from her eye with my thumb, and smile softly. "No problem, Les. I don't mind."

We stare at each other's eyes for a moment, and I'm debating whether I should lean in or not.

Unexpectedly, Leslie yawns and removes herself from the hug. I kinda feel disappointed that our hugging session is already over. "All that run made me tired already, though. How about you, Jess?"

I'm feeling tired now, too, but miss the feeling of Leslie's body against mine. I just nod in reply. We both get up, and then I help Leslie fold the blanket.

"Thank you so much for everything, Jess," Leslie says as we reach the front door of their house.

I give her a lopsided grin. "Les, do we really have to say 'thank you' to each other, like, all the time?"

She rolls her eyes. "Hey, I almost forget to ask. What did you and Bradfield do while I wasn't around?"

I totally forgot about that. "Ah. We just talked about random stuff. Then Diana called her on her phone, and she went to the balcony to talk to her while I drew to my heart's content for hours."

"Before I came in," Leslie puts a lock of hair behind her ear, "you two were standing so close to each other. Did she sexual harass you or something? Be honest, Jess."

A laugh escapes from my lips. "Good grief, Les! That sounds wrong. She just took a picture of us together and, er, kissed me on the, um, cheek. I guess it was also her way of saying thanks for . . ." I falter as I see Leslie narrowing her eyes, but I have a feeling that the glare is not aimed at me.

"Left or right?"

I stare at my Queen dumbly.

"Did she kiss you on your left cheek, or right cheek?" Leslie asks patiently.

"Um, right chee—" I don't get to finish my sentence as Leslie suddenly wipes my right cheek with her handkerchief furiously.

I rub at my assaulted cheek after she's done with the wiping. "That kinda hurt, Les."

"I'm sorry, Jess, but I really had to do that."

"Why?"

Leslie shrugs while restraining a smile, and says, "Good night, my King." Then my Queen goes inside with a wink before I can say a goodnight to her.

"What was that all about?" I ask to myself as I stand outside of the Burkes' house like an idiot.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

UndoneRhapsody: I'm sorry that chapter nine didn't meet your expectations. Was it because the mystery seems forgotten?

G-Matt: Leslie busted Sarah, but in another way, thanks to Jesse. Sorry about that. But still, I hope you liked it!

bt2: I know, right? I hate it when authors just abandon their story, too. It's like they just left you in the desert with no map, water, and compass. I have high respect to the authors who finish their stories. I don't care if they're late at updating, as long as they'll finish the story, it's all good for me.  
I thank you that you view this story as one of the somewhat alternative continuations to the original book/movie. I don't know, though, if I'm going to write a sequel for _Unearthing Secrets_. But if ideas will come to my mind, then why not? :)

Ashworth555: I notice that you're a Sarah and Nigel hater. Not that I mind. XD  
Oooh, your hate for Sarah has intensified that you called her "Sarah the Witch." I'm sorry that Leslie didn't throw Lance's _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix _to Sarah. I'm sure Lance wouldn't like that since his books are special to him. And Sarah only kissed Jesse on the cheek. That's nothing to worry about, right? :))  
Oh, and don't forget that there's also the almost-kiss scene in chapter five (The Haunted Mansion) that May Belle unintentionally interrupted. Er, not my fault!  
And, yes, Glee _was _one of my favorite television shows. I stopped watching it after episode four (I think) of season two. I lost interest in the story. Sorry!

richard kayser: It's great that you like this story. I'm really grateful for that. :D

lillypop: And another Sarah and Nigel hater. This made me grin so wide. Haha! I hope you found Jess and Leslie's moment in this chapter to your liking. :)

terabithian12: Long live the Terabithia, indeed!

phillyboy (Who gives literally the longest reviews I've ever seen. Whoa!): "Poor naïve, blindfolded, clueless, stuck-in-the-middle, let's-play-tug-of-war-with-the-cutest-boy-in-schoo l Jesse." If Jess read that line, he would say to himself, "I don't even know what that phillyboy's talking about!" XD  
Well, it's Sarah's fault, anyway. She didn't tell to Jesse not to include Leslie for the 'plan.' Silly Sarah.  
I don't think Sarah and Leslie's last names to be masculine until you mentioned it. And they even start with the letter B!  
Our favorite pair are indeed a package deal. Poor Sarah that she couldn't do anything about it. Well, Jess' her crush, anyway.  
Maybe we can call it 'ladies fight'? XD  
Because Lance's talkative, he even shared to Leslie an embarrassing moment of his sister. How cool was that of him?  
Maybe Jesse and Leslie should watch _The Carrie Diaries _together, huh? And then Jess would drool while watching Carrie, and Leslie would think, 'Jess' drooling over Carrie, but that girl playing Carrie, AnnaSophia Robb, looks like me! He even teased it to me before himself. Does that mean Jess loves me?!' And I agree with Leslie that Carrie's gorgeous! :DD  
And of course Jess wrote 'Leslie Burke' on the paper. So, Philly, do you like Sarah now? :))  
Ahaha! I wish I had that kind of gadgets, but, no, I only had my eighteenth century phone that time, even now. :(  
Too much imagination in your head, Philly. But that's a good thing!  
Seriously, phillyboy, your reviews made me laugh out loud, especially the mini scenes. I could totally imagine them having those conversations. Excluding your mini scenes, while reading your review, I imagined hearing the narrator of _How I Met Your Mother. _I don't know why. I'm sorry for my weirdness. XD  
But your review's cut off. Boo to FF for having character limits when posting reviews. I'll look forward to the continuation of your review in your review for chapter ten. :)

Guest: Ah, the uninhabited mansion will be mentioned again in the next chapter, with a new rumor(?). And take Nigel out of the play? So, you're one of Nigel's haters. XD

**A/N: **Thanks to Wikipedia for the history of the constellations mentioned in this chapter. And we have fifty-one reviews! You lot are amazing and all! Mwahugssss~! Every time I receive an e-mail from FF, I have this goofy grin plastered on my face. And, no, not like Overly Attached Girlfriend's grin. That would be creepy. But I love her videos on YouTube. They make my stomach hurt because she's so dang hilarious and a legend!

Thank you very much for diligently waiting for me to update this story and also for sending out your thoughts. I really appreciate it!

And the_ Catching Fire_ film is just 95 days away! Dunno when it will be released here where I live, though, but I'm excited, especially the "Finnick (Sam Claflin) Giving CPR to Peeta (Josh Hutcherson)" scene. Ehmehgehd! *fangirling*

Before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PERSEUS "PERCY" JACKSON! Hope you're having a grand time with Annabeth, even though you're currently at *censored*. I'll keep it at that for those who haven't read _Mark of Athena_ yet.

(Yes, I'm aware that I'm in the _Bridge to Terabithia _area here on FF, but, meh, can't help it.)


	11. The Rumors

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

* * *

_I wanna tell you what I'm feeling  
But I don't know how to start  
I wanna tell you, but now  
I'm afraid that you might break my heart  
Oh, why should anything so easy ever  
Be so hard to do?  
I wanna tell you what I'm feeling  
And to say that, I love you  
______—Misty's Song by Yvette Laboy_  


**goo . gl / 3LYs54**

Chapter 11: The Rumors

"Jess, did you bloody hear?" Conrad asks as he sits in the desk next to me.

I stop doodling in the back of my Chemistry notebook as I turn to him. "About what, Rad?"

Conrad Miller is a British kid who migrated from the United Kingdom because of his father's work last year. He has gray eyes and curly blond hair that almost reaches his eyebrows, and is taller than me by a few inches. Leslie and I became friends with him ever since being classmates and a trio for team projects in Biology. For this year, though, we're still classmates in one subject—which is Chemistry—while he and Leslie aren't classmates in any of the subjects anymore.

"You know."

"I don't know. I'm sorry. Now, will you tell me or not?"

"You don't want to guess?"

"No."

He hums by what I think is the chorus of "Rumor Has It" by Adele. I stare blankly at him.

Conrad rolls his eyes. "Killjoy," he deadpans. "Your girlfriend and that David Beckham wannabe went to Pizzalicious last Sunday together."

My eyes widen. "Wait, how did you know?"

Conrad blinks. "How did I know? Well, David Beckham Wannabe was boasting about it in our Literature class yesterday. I guess not just in that class, but to his other classes as well. So, I assume your girlfriend already told you about this."

"Leslie told me about tutoring Groban on his Geometry last Friday," I say. "And I already told you many times that she's not my girlfriend! Jeez. You know that."

He shrugs. "Not _yet._ I could see how you fancied her from the day I met you two. I mean, it's really obvious: the way you look at her and smile and—"

"Conrad!" I cut him off, my face blushing furiously. I also choose to ignore his first remark. Am I really that obvious? I hope only to Conrad's sharp eyes.

Oh, right. Even May Belle knows.

"At least you know who I was referring to. Anyway, here's how that berk announced his somewhat victory." Conrad raises his right hand and puts his left on his chest in a charming way. "'Hey, classmates! Leslie and I had lunch together while she was tutoring me for my Geometry at Pizzalicious last Sunday.' Many guys and gals who have crushes on those two and heard that became jealous, and I assume you're one of them. By Jove! As if boasting about having a tutoring session with a beautiful and intelligent gal at Lark Creek High is cool. I pity the fool. Hey, I just made a bloody rhyme!"

Even for Conrad, Leslie's beautiful, and he even admitted that she's also intelligent—which he rarely does because he thinks he's the only intelligent student in Lark Creek High School.

I don't point that out, though.

"Was that how he really said it?" I ask, implying about the gestures.

"Yes, but minus the exaggeration and the British accent. I wager he wants the students to think that he and Leslie also had a date. Desperate much?"

"Yeah. I even heard him asking Leslie if we're dating—" I realize what I said and suddenly cover my mouth with my hands.

Conrad smirks teasingly. "Blimey, Jesse! You were there?"

_Nice slip, Aarons. _"Well, er, I kinda spied on Leslie that day. She doesn't know about it. Um, yet."

"You did spying? And you didn't invite me? Shame on you," Conrad says with mock hurt.

"I'm sorry, James Bond," I say. "But it was an unexpected plan. Last minute. And besides, I don't even have a cellphone to contact you."

Mr. Santiago comes in as the bell starts ringing.

"Starting lunch time," Conrad whispers to me, "that topic will be trending in school. You have to get your girlfriend back before it's too late."

000

Conrad's deduction is right. I can hear most of the students talking about Leslie and Groban's _date. _Even Sarah asked me if it's true in Geometry a while ago. I told her Leslie was just tutoring Groban about Hyperbola.

"But they look so good together," Sarah gushes. I just shrugged in reply, but couldn't help to feel jealous.

_They look so good together, huh?_

As I sit in a circular lunch table with my food, I see Leslie walking towards me, and I notice most of the students in the cafeteria are looking at her in awe. Some are in confusion and envy.

Leslie sighs heavily as she takes a seat to my left, ignoring all the people who are staring at her. "I'm sure you already know the reason, Jess," she says, implying about the stares directed at her.

_Duh! _"The rumored date?"

Leslie nods and takes a bite of her apple. She looks around the cafeteria—looking for someone—until she finds who she is looking for. "Janice!"

Janice—who is at a table near the double doors of the cafeteria with some of the seniors—hears Leslie's call, excuses herself from her friends, and comes towards us.

"So, how's the investigation for the mansion going on?" Janice starts as she sits beside Leslie. I nod in greeting to her, then Janice nods back.

Trusting Janice, Leslie whispers without preamble, "Oh, Jan, there's someone living in the mansion."

"I already know that, Les. The ghost or ghosts."

Leslie rolls her eyes while I'm just munching on my cheeseburger. "_Someone. _Do you remember the greenhouse beside the mansion?"

Janice nods again.

The stares at our table are now gone—going back to what they're doing a moment ago.

"Well, when Jesse and I went inside the greenhouse, we didn't meet dead plants. Instead, every plant was in order and taken care of. Even the gardening utensils were clean."

Janice eyes widen in realization. "Are you pulling my leg?"

"If Leslie's pulling your leg," I deadpan, "then you wouldn't be sitting on your chair right now."

"Ha-ha. Gosh, Jess, I think the sun just died because of your joke."

"It's still sunny outside."

"You're impossible."

"Guys, be serious!" Leslie scolds, like me and Janice are not cooperating in the team. "It's the truth, Jan. We concluded that whoever is living there doesn't want to be known. I suspect it's just a homeless person who decided to live there since it's abandoned. But what if that's not it? What if drug dealers are the ones living there? Or even a crimi—"

"Les," Janice says, "I think you've just read too many mystery novels."

"After she was done with the _Sherlock Holmes _books, she started reading the _Nancy Drew Mystery Stories _books," I point out. "Er, not that I don't believe you, Les. I mean, I was there with you."

"Hey! They're also fun to read, you know. And besides, we don't lie to you, Janice," Leslie says. "Jesse and I will go there again this Saturday to unearth the secrets of the Alsons' mansion."

"Let me get this straight," Janice replies after a moment. "You two are implying that you want _me _to come with you this Saturday?"

Leslie and I nod. "We need a trusted ally to join us," Leslie says.

Janice sighs. "I already told you, didn't I? That I don't want to go back there again. It still gives me the creeps."

"But I thought you want to join us because you opened the topic in the first place."

"I was just curious."

"But—"

"No buts, Les," Janice interrupts. "I'm sorry."

Leslie turns to me for backup, but I shake my head. "Let's respect her decision, Les."

She sighs in defeat. "You're right, Jess." Leslie turns to Janice. "You don't have to be sorry, Jan."

"Are you going to the mansion in the forest?"

We look back to the source of the voice and see Scott frowning at us—who evidently heard our conversation. "Seriously?"

"Don't include me, Scott," Janice says.

"Well, Jess and I are going this Saturday," Leslie says to Scott. "Something's definitely out of the picture in that place."

I refrain from saying, _Going there _again_ this Saturday. _"Er, why, Scott?"

Janice rolls her eyes. "Don't tell you want to go with them."

I see Scott's eyes widen in fear, and this is not the kind of fear when he knows that he's going to the principal's office for detention. The look he's giving us right now is absolute fear that Janice, Leslie and I see in him for the first time.

"Scott, what's wrong?" Leslie asks with worry as she stands up and places a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

Scott starts to hyperventilate, and I prepare myself to save the lunch tray—carrying a paper bag—that he's currently holding if ever it will fall to the cafeteria floor. "I d-don't want to go back th-there again. Leslie and Jess, you should cancel your plans concerning the mansion."

My brows furrow. "Wait, when did you last go there?"

"Last two days ago, Gary and I," he says while trying to calm himself. Leslie draws soothing circles on his back. If it was another person, I would be jealous. "We really wanted to know if what they say about the mansion are indeed real. As we were about to throw a rock to the window to get inside, we hear something totally horrifying."

"The hideous scream?" I ask.

Scott shakes his head. "Something's playing the violin inside."

The three of us are in shock to discover another fact (well, it came from Scott and we trust him) and look at one another.

_Someone, _Leslie mouths.

"And the violin was producing a haunting melody," he continues. "I tell you, that place is definitely haunted. We shouldn't bother the spirits living there anymore."

This revelation raises the hairs on the back of my neck.

Janice points to Scott and says, "I believe him."

"And then we ran away instantly while Gary peed in his pants. Oh, don't tell him I said that to you guys."

Leslie's in deep thought, stroking her chin with her right hand. I wait for her final decision. After a moment, she says while sitting down, "Thank you for sharing that to us, Scott. And I believe you, too."

"Does that mean you're not going there anymore?" he asks hopefully.

"Of course not," Leslie answers simply.

I choke on my cheeseburger and immediately drink my orange juice. After doing so, I give my impulsive queen an Are-You-Freakin'-Serious look.

Leslie shrugs. "I mean, that makes it more intriguing, right? It's like Christmas is coming and you can't wait to open your presents."

"More like Halloween is coming or preparing for our funeral," I mutter. Janice and Scott agree with me.

Scott sighs. "If you're asking me to come with you, forget it. How about you invite your other friend, Conrad Miller, instead?"

I wave my hand dismissively. "Nah. I'm sure he'll just say, 'In this modern age of science, the only ghosts and monsters are in comics and television,'" I say the quote in a British accent.

Then, Janice and Leslie are trying hard not to laugh. I scowl.

"For Pete's sake, Jess," Scott says while restraining a grin, "don't speak in a British accent again. Ever."

I roll my eyes. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes," the three reply in unison.

"Your British accent sounds more like your voice box had been shoved in a blender, actually," Scott adds helpfully.

I just snort in response.

"Anyway," he says, "I have to go now. Gary's waiting for me at the mini forest. I'll just leave the tray here, if you don't mind. And don't blame me if you're going to end up like Lucas Wensfield." Then he leaves the cafeteria.

I blink. "I could not believe Scott cares for us that much. Les, he was serious. That's one of the signs that we should back out."

Leslie takes a bite again on her apple. "People change, Jess. And like I said, that makes it more intriguing."

Janice gives Leslie a mischievous look. "Speaking of _intriguing,_ I heard you and that famous soccer player dated last Sunday at Pizzalicious."

Leslie sips from her blueberry juice, though I think I see her eyes widen for a second. "Wow. Changing the subject, are we? Well, for your information, Jan, it wasn't a date. I just helped Nigel on his Geometry while eating lunch with him—"

"Aha!" Janice exclaims, startling me and Leslie that I almost spit the orange juice from my mouth. "See? It's a date, Les. Fine, a tutor _and_ a date, if you will. But I bet that, for Nigel, it's more of a date."

"Well, Nigel's fun, sweet, and a gentleman, but I don't really see the connection of the date there."

"How about we call it a 'friendly date,' then," —Janice makes air quotes with her fingers—"Are you too dense not to notice it? Or are you just denying the fact that it wasn't a date for you because you lo—"

Janice quickly shuts up as Leslie silences her with a look. I see the senior glance at me. "Um, is there something on my face, Jan?" I ask her, baffled.

She looks at Leslie uneasily, then at me. "N-nothing's on your face, Jess."

It seems that something unspoken occurs between the two of them. I roll my eyes inwardly. I will never understand girls. What's Janice about to say before Leslie cut her off, anyway?

At that exact moment, we see a guy with blond hair that's been gelled in a somewhat unruly style and blue eyes come into the cafeteria through the double doors—high-fiving people and shouting comments to them as he goes. Here he is, the freakin' dolt who started the rumored date.

_Nigel Groban._

I resist the urge to throw a chair at him.

Then, shouts fill inside of the cafeteria all at once.

"Eat with me, Nigel!"

"Leslie, can you tutor me for my History?!"

"Nigel, please notice me!"

"Marry me, Nigel!"

"Are the rumors true about you and Leslie Burke?!"

"Sarah Bradfield's hotter than Leslie Burke, stupids!"

"Are you blind?! Look at Leslie's curves!"

"I can tutor you next time on your Geometry, Nigel!"

"You lot can have Nigel Groban so that I can have Raymond Adams to myself!"

"Haven't you noticed Jesse Aarons' mesmerizing jawline?!"

"Nuh-uh, girly! Raymond Adams is mine!"

"Crystal Price is the hottest chick in this school, idiots!"

"But the British guy, Conrad Miller, is cooler than Nigel Groban!"

"I ship Jesslie!"

"I don't want to live on this planet anymore!"

He ignores the shouts, looks around, sees Leslie with a grin, and dashes to our table. Janice raises her eyebrows at Leslie.

"Hey, Les," Groban greets as he takes a seat in front of Leslie, "Aarons, and, er, what's your name, senior?"

"Janice," she answers.

"Groban," I greet in return with a neutral voice. I don't know if it's just me, but I feel a negative force surrounding me and Groban.

Now the cafeteria falls deadly silent, and I can feel the stares at our table are back, but intensified.

Leslie smiles. _What? _"Hey, Nigel. What's with the students talking about that we had a date . . .?"

"Oh, that." He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I just blurted that you tutored me on my Geometry and had lunch together last Sunday at the pizza house. Actually, I'd been dreaming for that to happen. When it came true, I couldn't contain my excitement! But it was also like a date, right?"

_Blurted? More like _boasted, I think.

Janice gives Leslie an I-Told-You-So look.

Leslie giggles. _Am I witnessing this right?_ "I really didn't think of it that way. I'm sorry. I didn't get the chance to talk to you about that in Geometry earlier because I was busy with some stuff."

Well, at least she's being frank—in a nice way.

"I really love that giggle of yours." Groban smiles apologetically. "No, I should be the one who's sorry for doing that. I didn't know that it would result to this, and it must have made you uncomfortable. For that, I'm sorry, Les."

I notice Leslie blushing lightly. _Oh, no. _"A little, but no harm done. Hey, I hope the quiz about hyperbola earlier was easy for you."

"Of course! You were the one who tutored me on that topic. I'm so glad I asked for your help."

I inwardly cringe in annoyance. Or maybe it is in envy. Leslie and Groban are talking animatedly while I'm just her continuing to munch on my cheeseburger like it's the happiest thing to do on earth. Leslie includes me in their conversations, but I just reply with yeahs and nods as I really don't know what to say—except for, _Get out of here, Groban!_—which I don't have the right to say out loud. And to make things worse, Janice already left to go back to her table.

Now, I seriously feel like I'm out-of-place with these two that I have lost my appetite by now.

And then unexpectedly, Leslie says, "Anyway, Nigel, do you want to come with us to the haunted mansion this Saturday?"

My eyes widen in surprise. _So, Leslie thinks that Groban is trustworthy, eh? Good grief! I don't even have the right to be jealous. She can invite whoever she wants and finds that person dependable._

Maybe it's just my imagination, but I notice Groban's face become pale for a second. "Why? Did you two hear the latest rumor about the mansion?"

"The haunting melody inside the mansion?" I ask.

He blinks. "Haunting melody? No. Is that rumor new?"

Oh. He doesn't know about it. So Scott hasn't told anyone except for me, Leslie, and Janice. Leslie also realizes this. We stare at each other, non-verbally deciding not to share to Groban about what Scott shared to us earlier. We've been best friends for so long that we can already understand each other's silent messages.

"Oh, nothing, Nigel," Leslie says sweetly. "Jesse just guessed. So, what's the latest rumor about the mansion?"

Groban chuckles awkwardly. "Ah. Well, it's not exactly about the mansion, but _near_ the mansion. You know, the forest," he says hesitantly. "A classmate of mine in World History went there last afternoon. He said that he saw a lady with long white hair and wearing a black dress running to the other side of the forest."

"Really?" Leslie and I ask at the same time.

Groban shrugs, but he's clasping his hands together so hard that the knuckles are now white to the bone. "By the way, why this Saturday? Why not after school instead?"

Leslie shakes her head. "Jess and I still have track practice later, and there are still lots of school stuff to do—especially the play this coming Friday. And I'm sure our parents wouldn't like it if they know where we were after school."

"You do have a point." Groban grins, which I think is a little strained. "Okay, I'll join you two this Saturday."

Now I'm positive that Groban's scared of going to the mansion, but insists himself to join us so that he can show to Leslie that he's brave and doesn't believe in the rumors of the mansion. And maybe to me, too.

I inwardly smirk, eyes narrowed. _Like I'm going to back out now, Groban. Very well, then. The unspoken challenge is on. I'm going to prove that I'm braver than you for Leslie._

"Where are you guys going this Saturday?"

I look behind me and see Sarah smiling widely at us.

"Hey, Sarah," Groban greets with a wave.

"Hi, Nigel. And to you, too, Jess."

"H-hi, Sarah."

Sarah takes a seat at my other side, making me in-between her and Leslie. This is the third time that has happened to me already. "Anyway, care to answer my question, Jess?"

"None of your beeswax, Bradfield," Leslie growls.

"Oh, I didn't notice you there, Burke. No wonder I smell something unpleasant."

"I believe you're just smelling yourself."

"Um, ladies, chill," Groban says. "We're going to the haunted mansion this Saturday, Sarah."

Sarah makes a face. "Such a fun place to hang-out. Who do you think you are, Ghostbusters or something?"

Leslie smirks. "Well, we are fearless, unlike you."

Sarah glares daggers at Leslie. They're radiating hate waves again. "_Fearless_, you say? I'll even join you in your _ghost hunting_ this Saturday and give you tips on how to be fearless."

Leslie snorts. "No one's inviting you."

Sarah laughs. "I believe you just don't want me in the party so that I couldn't hear you scream for your mommy."

"Nah. That's your thing, not mine."

"Why you—"

I clear my throat since they're starting to raise their voices and attracting attention from the students in the cafeteria again. "Um, what time this Saturday?"

"How about after lunch time?" Groban asks.

I shrug. "Fine with me." I look to Leslie and Sarah for confirmation, but I think they don't hear us because they're having their glaring contest at the moment. I face Groban and give him a puzzled look.

_Girls are really weird creatures, _he mouths, and I agree with him for the first time in my life.

Then I feel an arm wrapping around my shoulders and a soft hand resting gently at the top of my calloused right hand: Sarah's.

"By the way, Jess," she says with a beaming smile, "can I borrow your pencil? I forgot to bring mine. I'm going to add some details for the costume drawing that Diana lent to me. Said she needs it before Literature class."

I hear Groban saying, "Er, why are you crushing the juice carton like that, Les?"

"S-sure. N-no problem," I stammer as she lets me get a pencil from my color red fabric pencil case inside my bag, and then give it to her.

"Thanks, Jess! See you later in Literature. And I can't wait for Saturday."

I nod with a lopsided smile as Sarah stands up from her seat.

"Don't bother showing up this Saturday," Leslie mumbles.

"By the way, Burke." She looks back at Leslie. "You and Nigel make a cute couple, you know." Then she laughs while walking away from us.

I feel angry and envy from that statement, but I guess I can't blame Sarah. Other people are also saying that about Groban and Leslie. I glance at Groban—who seems close to fainting just by hearing what Sarah said. Leslie—on the other hand—is gazing at Groban, pondering about something. Maybe about Sarah's statement?

I think my heart will break apart.

I see out of the corner of my eye that Groban's about to take Janice's former seat so that he can sit beside Leslie, but luck's with me as a certain British takes that seat and says, "Hiya, mates!" cheerily.

"Hey, Conrad," Leslie says with a smile.

I grin at him.

Conrad winks at Leslie.

Groban frowns. "Miller, what are you doing here?"

Conrad feigns innocence. "Why, David Beckham Wannabe, I can sit whenever I want. And last time I checked, I'm still friends with Jesse and Leslie, yes?"

"You always call me that. Ever since that accident last year—"

"Because you're a David Beckham wannabe. And, yes, I still blame you why I got a B plus on our project in Economics. If only that stupid teacher didn't let us become partners, then—"

"The heck! It was an accident! And B plus is already a high grade."

"No. _A_ is my lowest grading standard," he says. "Anyway, I would love to continue our chitchat, but Mr. Rayner wants to talk to you at the faculty room, pronto."

"What? Why now? I mean, after lunch is our Literature class. He can talk to me there instead."

Conrad yawns. "Gee, maybe it's about the bloody play. You have the superior role. And besides, time is gold. Ha! Another rhyme!"

"Fine. Whatever," Groban grumbles and stands up. "I'll text you later, Les. 'Bye, Aarons."

"What's this?" Conrad says with wide eyes. "No good-bye for me?"

Groban rolls his eyes. "We'll see each other again after lunch, Miller, in case you have forgotten."

"You misunderstand me, David Beckham Wannabe. I just don't want to be left out. And besides—" He taps his temple with his finger. "I don't forget."

Groban sighs in frustration. "Whatever."

"Are you and Nigel always like that, Rad?" Leslie asks Conrad after Groban leaves the cafeteria.

"Unfortunately, no. Say, would you two care for some tea?" Conrad asks with a grin. "I brought a thermos of earl grey tea and plastic tea cups with me."

"Sure!" she exclaims. "And I still have some Oreo cookies left. We can eat it while drinking tea."

I have an idea to escape from all of these stares. "I think it's more comfortable to have tea at the mini forest, um, if it's fine with you two."

"Brilliant!" Conrad says, and my Queen smiles warmly.

000

I cough, then say in my girlish voice, "My! I wonder what this is."

Leslie shakes her head. "Jess, just like what Ms. Thompson said: emotions! But at least you don't stammer in your lines anymore. That's an improvement."

After our track practice, Leslie and I dashed to our "castle" to practice our lines, I mean, my lines since Leslie already mastered her's. Literature Day is just three days away, so we really need to activate our serious mode.

I sigh. "Yeah. Wait till it's curtain time and I'll stammer like a broken car."

She giggles. "Oh, don't be such a pessimist, Princess Aurora. You can do it."

"Acting is really _not _my forte. You don't have a _Sleeping Beauty _DVD, do you? I can watch it and try to capture Aurora's tone and moves, if that's even possible. Or the Princess Aurora from _Once Upon a Time _instead. Yuck!"

"Er, none. But we can rent a DVD of it in town or just watch it online." Leslie thinks for a moment. "On second thought, let me just show you."

She stands up from sitting on the tree house floor and clears her throat. "My! I wonder what this is!"

And by that one line, I am stunned. Leslie said it with conviction, and the expression on her face is really full of wonder.

"Aaaahhhh!" She flops to the floor.

I clap automatically.

Leslie looks up at me. "So, how was it?"

I grin. "You should definitely be in a movie or something, Les."

Leslie stands and does a queenly bow. "There goes my demonstration. Now it's your turn, Jess."

"As if I can do what you just did."

She rolls her eyes. "But you won't know unless you give it a try."

I sigh in defeat. "Don't laugh, all right? Okay, here it goes." I pause. "My! I wonder what this is!"

Leslie puts her hands to her mouth, preventing herself from laughing out loud. I glare at her, even though I love hearing her laugh and giggle, but this moment is so wrong for that.

"What?" Leslie asks innocently between giggles. "That wasn't laughing . . . Okay. Fine. I'm stopping . . . There. Happy? Well, your acting's close enough."

I roll my eyes. "Gah! Whatever. I'm sure that I'm not the only one in the play who sucks at acting."

"At least you're doing your best, Jess," she encourages.

"Meh."

"I can't wait for our costumes—" Her expression turns a little dreamy. "I mean, when Diana got my measurements a while ago, I couldn't stand still!"

I imagine Leslie wearing a costume pretty much like Prince Phillip's, her sword raised up high and yells in a royal voice,_ We rule Terabithia! And nothing crushes us!_

Yep, still beautiful.

I make a face. "And I'll be wearing a pink gown. Can I just crawl in a hole and—"I suddenly stop and raise my head, tilting it to the side to listen. "Do you hear that, Les?"

Leslie tries to listen, then shakes her head. "I don't hear anything, Jess."

"It sounded like someone's running," I say and look out the window. I can see some of the stars are already shining in the western sky and look around.

_Nothing out of the ordinary._

"Oh, I guess it was just P.T. or some other Terabithian creatures running around," I say hesitantly. _But I am sure that it seems like a person's footsteps._

Suddenly, out of the blue, Leslie hugs me from behind. I catch my breath and a shiver goes down my spine.

"Jess," she says softly, and my face flushes so red hot that I feel like I might burn myself, if that's even possible.

"I-is something the m-matter, Les?" I ask, my voice filled with worry. "Is this about the rumored date? So it really does bother you."

I'm about to face her, but her grip on my waist tightens, and I get the message. Well, I guess I'm thankful for this so that she can't see my burning face.

I feel Leslie shaking her head.

I don't reply, waiting for Leslie to say something. But I have a feeling that I'm not going to love what I'm about to hear.

Leslie exhales. "It's about . . . Nigel. Jess . . . I think I'm . . . falling for him."

* * *

**/ / Edited the grammar errors (thanks to phillyboy :D).**

**Review Responses:**

Jennifer: I did say in my Review Responses last chapter that the mansion will be mentioned again in chapter eleven. Still, I hope you liked the JxL fluffs from the previous chapters. XD

G-Matt: Thank you! :D

BT2: As long as humanly possible? I hope chapter eleven's already long enough. XD  
I mentioned in my A/N in chapter seven that after I'm finished with this story, there will be a one-shot that is somehow related to this story, and that one-shot has already been drafted. I hope that it's going to be good. And thank you so much for your support! :D

richard kayser: I agree with you that FanFiciton dot net is a site where we can have fun with the other fans, reading *name*-didn't-die stories, and etc. :))  
And thank you so much for your support! :D

lillypop: Thank you! I'm sorry that I kinda updated late. And I hope that chapter eleven is already long enough for you. :3

phillyboy: Whoa! $100?! Did you read that, readers? Phillyboy's having a bet on who Jesse's first LIPS kiss will be before this story ends. Just PM him if you're interested. XD  
About Sarah . . . hmmm, I just don't want her to be—in Ashworth555's words—fair, and not a stuck-up. There was another word that Ashworth555 used, but it was censored. I have no clue what that word is. XD  
And I'm so happy you liked the tickle and stargazing scenes. Thank you so much for your support! :D

terabithian12: "I always wanted to see Jess really take a stand! Defend his Queen's honor! You know, be her knight in shining armor!" No worries! Already have a scene like that for a future chapter, and a chapter where they will confess their feelings to each other. I hope you'll look forward to them. I assure you that this is a JxL story, but with some twists. Mwehehe! :3

Ashworth555: I like that crossover idea of yours. Maybe you should write one, huh?  
Well, they had another bickering _and _glaring contest in this chapter. I hope you had fun with it.  
Oh, you don't know how much Leslie being an actress will be a big hint for the future chapters. Keep that in mind, readers (if you're reading my response to Ashworth555, that is)!  
Maybe AnnaSophia Robb should have a new song. I love her singing voice and "Keep Your Mind Wide Open" is still not enough. And, yes, "Like a Star" is included in the SS soundtrack.  
When will they kiss? After _House of Hades _releases. Joke! By the way, may I ask what's the last word you used for Sarah? It's censored.

Phelipe Monteiro: It's nice to know that a BtT Brazilian fan is reading this story. Thank you! And don't worry, your English is great! As for me what date I'm updating this story . . . I don't really have an exact date, but I usually update after a week when the last chapter had been published. ;)

**A/N: **Yeah, I don't even know where this is going. Just kidding! We're going to take a roller coaster ride, dear readers. I hope you don't mind. Hey, my treat. But I know what I'm writing, and Leslie knows what she's doing. And can you guess what exactly did Jesse hear while they were at Terabithia?

For those of you that didn't catch on, Nigel has feelings for Leslie, but doesn't know and notice that Jesse has feelings for her, too. Meh.

And, yeah, I was one of the students at the cafeteria who joined with the shouting. The "jawline" and "Jesslie" lines, if you haven't noticed. XD

Totally stole the "In this modern age of science . . ." line from _Detective Conan._

By the way, because I was bored and love you lot, I'll be posting a bonus every chapter until the end of the story that can be found below my A/N. It's just a character card with a quote. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Anyway, hope you, er, enjoyed the chapter! And don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review!

* * *

**BONUS **

/ /copy the link, paste it into the URL, remove the spaces, then click enter\ \

goo . gl / mU20UR  
-Another cover for _Unearthing Secrets_

goo . gl / jNRzAB  
-Jesse Aarons (quote by Nicholas Sparks)


	12. Avoidance

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

**A/N: I added header pics for every chapter. Feel free to check them out. If only FF has a media gallery like Wattpad has. XD **

* * *

_So let me come to you_  
_Close as I wanted to be_  
_Close enough for me_  
_To feel your heart beating fast_  
_And stay there as I whisper_  
_How I loved your peaceful eyes on me_  
_Oh, did you ever know_  
_That I had mine on you?_  
_—Eyes On Me by Faye Wong_

**goo . gl / 3WbYvR**

Chapter 12: Avoidance

My world seems to freeze—even every muscle in my body is coiling tight as my stomach turns inside out.

_What? Did I hear her right?_

Then her last words echo in my head over and over again.

_Falling for him . . . Falling for him . . . Falling for him._

I definitely heard her right. Okay, I gotta act it cool, like it doesn't concern me.

I put on my best poker face, gently remove her arms around my waist, face her, look into her eyes directly, and grin. "Whoa, Les! That's great! I heard from most of the girls in school that Groban's such a nice guy. I think he likes you, too. I mean, when you were tutoring him in Pizzalicious, he thought that it was also a date, right? So if you're going to confess your feelings to him, you won't have to worry getting rejected or something," I say too quickly.

I'm not sure, but I think I see shock and hurt on Leslie's face before she glances away. "Ah. I see."

I put a hand on her shoulder and she looks up at me, though I can't quite guess her expression. It seems guarded. "Go for it, Les," I say with a smile so wide, which is so unlike me. _Please don't notice._

She is about to say something, but I beat her to it. I don't want another knife so sharp to be stabbed in my chest. "Well, it's getting dark now. And I forgot that we have a long quiz in Chemistry tomorrow. We should go home now, Les."

"Okay," Leslie says, somewhat unconvinced. "Do you need any help, Jess?"

"It's all right. Conrad already taught me the basics," I say hastily before jumping down from the tree house and call for P.T.—who's having his own adventure in the forest.

000

After dinner, I immediately go to my room and lock the door. Sitting on my bed with a heavy sigh, I remember Leslie's dreadful sentence.

_It's about . . . Nigel. Jess, I . . . I think I'm . . . falling for him._

I reach for my sketchbook—the one filled with my drawings of Leslie—under the pillow and flip the pages. I stop at my charcoal drawing of Leslie that I drew a year ago. My hand is hovering over the paper—wanting to rip it to shreds. Instead, I throw the sketchbook at the far side of my room furiously—where a collage of our pictures together is pinned on the wall.

Am I angry at Leslie? Angry that she chose Nigel Groban over me? But then again, we are just best friends. And as her best friend, I have to encourage her with her decisions. It's not even her fault that she's falling for him.

_But you had your chance, you know,_ a voice in my head says. _You could have confessed your feelings to Leslie a while ago._

But I couldn't do it. Not when she just confessed about Groban. And I shouldn't be angry at Leslie. Or at Groban, for that matter. They didn't do anything wrong. If anything, I should be angry at myself for my lack of confidence.

Sighing, I get the sketchbook on the floor and put it on my study table. No wonder she invited Groban in our investigation this coming Saturday.

The heck with the Chemistry quiz tomorrow. As if I can concentrate studying now with my reeling emotions.

I lie down in my bed, close my eyes in frustration and jealousy, cover my face with a pillow, and scream. Without warning, I start to cry, then sob.

Hard.

Isn't this a rare sight? Jesse Ryan Aarons is sobbing because of his first heartbreak. Now I understand those crappy romance novels my older sisters love to read. I also remember a quote I heard before somewhere that when a guy cries over a girl, he will never love another girl like her.

Leslie means a lot to me. I have very strong feelings for her. I truly love her. I really care about her.

But I'm a loser. A coward.

I hope that my family can't hear my sobbing downstairs.

_Screw this romantic feeling for my best friend!_

After for how many minutes, my sobbing subsides, and then I unconsciously fall asleep.

000

I stare numbly at my Chemistry quiz paper result. Actually, every part of my body feels numb. Yes, even my heart. But it was a miracle that I still got to answer the long quiz.

Conrad takes a look at my paper. "Hey, you got a B minus. I wager you didn't study."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Sherlock Holmes," I deadpan without looking at him. Knowing Conrad, I'm sure he got another A plus, even if he doesn't study. Like Leslie.

Gah! There goes that name again.

He looks at me funny. "Mate, where's your bloody sunshine? Because I don't see it anywhere around you." Suddenly, he sings a song that I don't know.

"_I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine  
I've got a love and I know that it's all mine  
Owwwoooowww!"_

I just give him an expressionless look.

Conrad rolls his gray eyes. "Why are you acting like that? Is it because of your girlfriend and David Beckham Wannabe?"

Before I can snap that that's not it, Mr. Santiago announces, "Congratulations to Conrad Timothy Miller for getting the highest score for today's quiz." He sighs. "Again. Seriously, whoever can pass his score for the next quiz will be exempted for the next exam."

"Oh, come on, Mr. Santiago," Conrad says with a grin, "please don't encourage them."

"Ha-ha." Then Mr. Santiago gives instructions for our assignment about Gas Laws.

"Piece of cake," I hear Conrad mutter.

Can I have his brain?

000

I dash to the most secluded area of the mini forest in school when it's already lunch time. Why? Because I want to be alone—to avoid every human being here on earth, especially a girl with the name Leslie Sophia Burke. I need to distance myself from her for a while to mend my broken heart. If I'm near her, I would remember what she said again. We didn't even talk much at the bus earlier because I was pretending to study for our Chemistry quiz.

After eating crackers and drinking orange juice, I memorize my lines, but to no avail.

_Focus, Aarons! Don't let your confusing emotions affect your concentration._

Taking deep breaths, I try to memorize my lines again, but with little success. My thoughts keep drifting back to the scene where I saw Leslie and Groban coming out from their Geometry class together earlier.

Together.

They do that most of the time, but I did my best not to mind it until Leslie's confession.

Good grief! That freaking line again!

I feel a stab of annoyance with myself for bringing that up, but my thoughts continue ruthlessly.

I slap the script book to my face.

_This is so hard._

000

"Scenes one and two are great!" Ms. Thompson exclaims and claps her hands. "Actors and actresses for scene three, get ready! Okay. Lights, camera, and action!"

I go to the props team to help them paint some of the remaining uncolored props since I have nothing else to do, and I don't want to watch scene three right now. I can hear Leslie and Sarah's lines in the background and notice Ms. Thompson nodding at them, clearly impressed.

When I entered the room after lunch, Leslie came to me and asked where I was. I said I was memorizing my lines at the mini forest. _Trying _to memorize my lines was the truth, but I didn't tell her that. It's not like I was lying, right?

Then, there is applause. Scene three is done. I can see at the corner of my eye that Leslie is whispering to Ms. Thompson.

"Great job, everyone!" Ms. Thompson says after a few minutes. "Costume team, are all of the costumes already finished?"

"Not yet, Ms. Thompson," Diana Huff answers. "We're still working on the king and the witch's costumes, but they'll be finished by tomorrow."

"Don't forget to bring them this Friday."

"Certainly, Ms. Thompson."

"How about the props team?"

"Almost done, Ms. Thompson," Jonas Cruz says.

"Music team?"

"Already taken care of, Ms. Thompson," Emmanuel O'Brien answers.

Ms. Thompson clasps her hands together and squeals. "Excellent, dears! By tomorrow, everything will already be perfect, I hope. We'll beat the two sophomore sections this Friday!"

They give cheers.

"That's all for this afternoon, class," she says. "You may go now."

"How about scene four, Ms. Thompson?" Alice asks.

"Oh. That." Ms. Thompson gives me and Leslie a grin so bright that I almost close my eyes. "We don't have to worry about that. Isn't that right, Jesse and Leslie?"

"Of course, Ms. Thompson!" Leslie says jovially.

"Um, yeah," I say lamely. I see Sarah glaring at Leslie.

We are dismissed and I quickly get out from the room before Leslie comes to me.

I pass by the library door, and then stop. Should I go in and skip World History? I still can't concentrate, so for sure I'll just fall asleep in that class. And Leslie and I are seatmates in that class, but then again, we're always seatmates if we have classes together. And that caused a rumor years ago that we're a couple—which we declined, saying we're just best friends.

It even took all of my willpower to attend Literature just for the play practice.

Decided, I open the door and retreat to the very back of the library.

"Oy, Jess," someone whispers.

I glance to my left and see Conrad at the last table—his Chemistry book in hand. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"The reason what a library is for," I say as I take a seat across him.

He rolls his eyes. "That's not what I meant. You have World History now, right? Don't tell me you are cutting class. Or are you just hiding from your fangirls?"

"This is the first time I skipped class. I'm here to answer the homework, too. And besides," I say as I get my Chemistry book from my bag, "you're also doing the same thing as me."

"Er, not quite. Our Geometry teacher is absent, and I don't want to go home yet, so that's why I'm here answering our Chemistry homework."

I open to the assigned page and read the problems, but the letters are floating in my head like I have dyslexia. How problematic. I bang my head on the table. Strangely, it doesn't hurt.

"Mate, you all right?"

I wave a dismissing hand, my head still on the table. "Yeah. Just tired, I guess."

I can feel him smirking at me. "Really? Or you just find the homework not too chicken? No worries. I can tutor you, if you like."

I glance up at him and smirk back. "That must be the smartest thing you have said all day."

So for the next few minutes, Conrad teaches me the easiest way to learn about the different gas laws and I understand him immediately, just like when Leslie teaches me on my Geometry or in other subjects.

After I answer the problems, we exchange answers. I got seventeen correct answers out of twenty items.

Conrad grins. "Not bad, mate."

We high-five.

"Jess, there you are."

I almost choke at my own saliva as I immediately turn to the source of the voice, and see Leslie panting slightly.

"Why did you skip World History?" Leslie demands as she comes towards our table. "And I believe that's the first time you skipped a class. I was worried!"

I feel guilty after she said that. _No. Don't, Aarons._

"Hullo, Leslie," Conrad greets with a smile.

"Hey, Conrad," Leslie greets back—finally noticing him—and sees what's on our table. "Oh. You're answering your homework." I see hurt in her eyes for a second.

Conrad must have noticed it too. He knows that Leslie and I answer our homework together after school. "Leslie, we met here by coincidence. I saw Jesse walking through the aisles, so I called him. Said he's also here to answer the Chemistry homework, so I gave him tips and then after he finished answering the problems, we exchanged answers," he says. "Oh, if you're wondering why I'm here in the first place, that's because our Geometry teacher is not around."

"What he said," I say, shrugging.

"Ah." Leslie sighs. "But you could have told me, Jess."

My throat aches, and a flood of confusing emotions makes my stomach feel tight. _What kind of a best friend am I? _"I-I'm sorry, Les. But if I told you, I'm sure you'd do two things. One, you'll stop me from skipping class and insist that I'll do it at _home,"_ I say, emphasizing the last word so that she'll get the true meaning: our castle at Terabithia. "And two, you'll skip class with me. I can't let you do that."

"Are you avoiding me?"

My eyes widen for a second and can't help to feel a bit of anger. _Straight to the point, as usual. Now, Aarons, you have to lie again and keep your face straight. _

I look at her. "Avoid you? Why would I do that, Les?"

"Jess," Leslie's eyes are pleading, "is this about what I said yesterday?"

_What the heck, Leslie. Of course it's about that! That you're falling for that Nigel Groban! _"Good grief, Les. Of course not. It's just bad timing that our Chemistry teacher is giving us a hard time, and Chemistry is harder than World History, so I had to make a sacrifice." I turn to Conrad, who's pretending to play on his BlackBerry. "Isn't that right, Rad?"

He looks up, startled. "W-what? Um, right."

Leslie and I stare at each other for a moment, then she glances away. "So, you're not going home with me, I assume."

"Yes. Conrad will still tutor me on Chemistry, so you go home ahead."

He gives me a look that clearly means, _I don't know where this is going, but you have to bloody tell me what's the real deal later._

Leslie looks unconvinced, but sighs in defeat. "Fine, Jess. 'Bye, Conrad. I have to go now. The bus will leave in five minutes."

Then I suddenly remember something. "Wait, Les," I say, and she fixes me with a tight smile that I'm not at all sure what to make of. I swallow hard before continuing. "Can Conrad come with us this Saturday?"

Conrad's head tilt to the side. "What's happening this Saturday? If you two lovebirds are going on a date—"

"No!" Leslie and I say at the same time, blushing furiously from embarrassment.

"We're going to investigate the mansion in the forest this Saturday," Leslie says. "Maybe you want to join us."

Conrad yawns. "Well, I don't believe the rumors. I even find the mansion boring, really," he says. "And I have violin lessons every Saturday, so I'll have to decline your offer. But I thank you two for your invitation."

Leslie blinks, looking a little disappointed. "Oh, okay."

"Groban and Sarah are going," I state, trying not to sound bitter mentioning Groban.

He raises an eyebrow. "David Beckham Wannabe's going? Seriously?"

"Yep."

"By Jove! The world must be ending." Then Conrad suddenly chuckles while covering a hand on his mouth and there's a glint in his eyes. "Fascinating. Please forget what I said earlier. I'm going."

Leslie's eyes brightened in excitement. "Really? That's great, Rad." She frowns a bit. "But what about your violin lesson?"

"Don't worry about it. So, it's the five of us, then?"

"Yep. We'll meet at the front of the mansion after lunch," I say.

"Brilliant!" Conrad exclaims, and then turns to Leslie. "No wonder your second name is 'Sophia'. I wager that you also like Philosophy."

Leslie tilts her head to the side, wondering where Conrad's getting at. "Well, yeah." Then something clicks in her mind and she smiles. "I didn't notice that until now."

I look from Leslie to Conrad, confused. "Er, excuse me." They turn to me. "Man with a normal IQ here. I'm lost with your topic."

"The word Philosophy is derived from the Greek terms 'philo' and 'sophia', which means love and wisdom respectively," Conrad explains. "When combined, it means love of wisdom. It also means search for knowledge or truth."

_Okay, _I thought. _That explains everything about Leslie._

"Well, I have to go now," Leslie says. "See ya, you two."

I nod and Conrad says, "Don't worry, Leslie. After I tutor Jesse here, everything will be hunky-dory." He grins. "And besides, you rarely get a chance to have a tutoring session with the smartest student in Lark Creek High."

Leslie and I chuckle. Leave it to Conrad to remove the awkwardness in the air.

She rolls her eyes with a smile. "Whatever, Sheldon Cooper."

After Leslie leaves, Conrad raises an eyebrow at me. "Ah, yes. About the moment ago . . . ?"

I run my hands through my hair in frustration. "Leslie's right, Rad. I'm avoiding her because of what she said yesterday."

"And you lied?" he asks while putting his phone back in his pocket, and clasps his hands together on the table, like we're having a serious business meeting.

"Of course. I mean, what else should I do?"

"What did she say to you yesterday, anyway, if I may ask?"

I pause. This is Conrad, anyway. One of the few people who knows my true feelings for Leslie. "She told me yesterday that . . . s-she's . . . falling for . . . for . . . N-Nigel Groban . . ."

Conrad's eyes widen and he suddenly stands up. "What?!" he asks, his voice rising several octaves.

Many heads turn to us and the librarian—who's arranging books on a shelf near to us—gives Conrad a glare. Such a bad timing to yell, huh?

"Sorry, won't bloody happen again," he says, sits down, and gives me an incredulous look. "That's rubbish, Jess."

I sigh in frustration. "Well, she freakin' said it to me. I heard her right."

"So you acting weird earlier . . . Hah! My reason was right. But still, that can't be. I mean—oh."

I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, maybe you got it all wrong." But he's giving me a smile that means he knows something that I don't, and I have a feeling that it's not about the lessons in Chemistry.

I glower at him. "You're hiding something from me."

Conrad grins, and says something I will never forget. "Let's just say that everything is never as it seems."

* * *

**Review Responses:**

lillypop: Whoa! Such a long "NOOOO" there. XD

terrabithian12: Yes, you shall trust the Queen of Terabithia. :3

BT2: "with a fire that burns like the sun." Nice line right there!

phillyboy: I'm happy that you liked Conrad! And thanks for laughing at Janice's line. XD  
Conrad's going with them to the mansion. Yay! Thanks for your suggestion. And Crystal Price looks like Jennifer Lawrence . . . waaaaa how did you know?! XD

Ashworth555: Kyaaaa! A fellow Pokéshipper! Ash x Misty to the max! And yeah, that song also suits in chapter ten. :DD  
And another fan of Conrad. Yay! Sarah is Nina Dobrev. But you readers can use your own imaginations, of course. And I'll be using most of Nicholas Sparks's quotes for the pictures. ;)

Abhro: After reading "Good Time", I'm sure you have a hunch for U.S. why Leslie did that.

**A/N: **Okay, I know what you readers are going to say: WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG FOR AN UPDATE?! YOU DID IT IN PURPOSE, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!  
Well, yeah. Haha! Kidding aside, school was keeping me busy and I didn't have the time to type chapter twelve. Still, I apologize for the long wait.  
I'm currently reading _The Fault in Our Stars _by John Green. Just wanna ask if someone here already read that book.

And I changed again the book cover because Conrad's joining them in their investigation. But the quality of the picture becomes whack after uploading it here on FF. So if you wanna see the clear version of the pic, check the BONUS below or at my FF profile.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review!

* * *

**BONUS**

(The links are also available in my profile.)

goo . gl / GdlxdI  
-Second cover for _Unearthing Secrets_

goo . gl / dKPQ4D  
-Quote picture

goo . gl / NEb5iK  
-Leslie Burke (quote by Nicholas Sparks)


	13. The Birthday Party

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

**A/N: I have a Jesslie one-shot entitled _Good Time._ Go to my profile if you're too lazy to look for it in the BtT archive. There's a goodie in there, so if you haven't read it yet, please do read it. :D**

* * *

_I know what's real cannot be denied_  
_Although it may hide for a while_  
_With just one touch love can conquer fears_  
_Turning all your tears into smiles_

_It's such a wondrous feeling_  
_I know that my heart can't be wrong_  
_—I Still Believe by Hayden Panettiere_

**goo . gl / aLzhVg**

Chapter 13: The Birthday Party

"What are you brooding about, my King?"

My eyes open suddenly and see Leslie sitting across from me on the grass, giving me her gentle smile. The light breeze is playing with her long blond hair, tossing it lightly around her slender face.

I catch my breath and can't look away. My heartbeat picks up and my mouth is suddenly dry.

Leslie Sophia Burke was, is, and will forever be beautiful and perfect.

"Earth to Jesse!"

I mentally shake my head and realize that I'm gaping. My jaw snaps shut and I blush from embarrassment, looking down at my lap.

"Oh. I'm disturbing your thinking, aren't I? I'm sorry, Jess." Leslie stands to leave. _What the heck are you doing, Aarons? Get out of your paralysis!_

I quickly grab her wrist lightly—me almost kneeling. She stops in her tracks. I'm still looking down at the grass, but I feel her gaze at the back of my head. "N-no. You got it wrong," I say, then stare directly in her eyes, determined. "Please stay, my Queen."

Her eyes widen in shock, then she smiles softly. "Okay, my King."

We sit back beside the tree on a hill that's overlooking the school. Still holding Leslie's wrist, I move my hand at the top of hers and caress it while looking up at the clear, blue sky.

Leslie rests her head on my shoulder. I can smell her sweet perfume and the usual strawberry scent on her hair. I forget about my problems about Leslie and Groban for now. Just being here with her in this moment is enough. I have to treasure it before she confesses to Groban. After that, I'll let go of my feelings for Leslie, but I will still be always with her. Best friends do that, of course.

Then I remember what Conrad said: _Everything is never as it seems._

What the heck does he mean? I couldn't sleep properly last night because of that. And what happened to me and Leslie yesterday seems long forgotten now. Thank God.

But there's still the school play. Boo.

"You're thinking deep, Jess," Leslie says softly. "Care to share what's inside that head of yours?"

I chuckle lightly. "It's just about the play, Les. You know, tomorrow is Literature Day and, well, I'm nervous to the core. What if I'll mess up?"

"Hmmm, there's a solution for that."

"And that is . . . ?"

"Don't think like that."

I snort in laughter. "Easy for you to say. You're a great actress."

Leslie giggles. "And you're a great actor, you know?"

I roll my eyes. "Um, thanks?"

"You're welcome."

"Oh, right. Sarah reminded me earlier about Lance's birthday party. We're still going, right?"

"Of course," Leslie says bluntly.

It's still lunch time, but we can barely hear the chattering of the students from here, which makes this spot nice for a nap.

"So," Leslie starts after a moment of silence, "wanna eat Oreo cookies? But I don't have tea."

I smile and gently squeeze her hand. "Sure. I don't mind."

000

The party has already started when Leslie and I arrive at the Bradfields' house. Elizabeth immediately ushers us to the back of the house where the party is being held: a big lawn with a swimming pool where some of the kids are already taking a swim. Children songs play through the big speakers and a clown is currently entertaining some of the kids.

"Leslie! Jesse!" Kezia calls us from a circular table where she's already seated with Alice and Emmanuel. Looks like we are the only ones who Sarah invited from her Literature class.

At the other table are students whom I only know by their faces. I guess they are Sarah's classmates in her other subjects.

"So glad you could come, Jess," Emmanuel says as me and Leslie take our seat. "I mean, I was the only guy in this table. I was kinda out of place."

I raise my eyebrows and Alice rolls her eyes. "Why would you feel out of place, Emmanuel? We're already friends since way, way back."

"So, how are you two holding up?" Kezia questions while grinning. "Tomorrow's the play and all. Are you excited or nervous?"

"I'm excited, Kezia," Leslie says with a laugh. "I don't know about Jess, though."

I cringe. "Nervous, of course. How about you guys?"

"I'm just the narrator, so no problem there," Alice replies, shrugging.

"Somewhere in between, truthfully," Kezia admits. "I'm just really hoping that I will not forget my lines."

Emmanuel grins. "The music team is already prepared."

"Good for you all," I deadpan, then we all share a laugh.

"So, where is Sarah?" I ask after the laughing subsides. I think I see Leslie frown at the corner of my eye.

"At her room, preparing. Oh, never mind. Here she comes," Alice says and I turn around to see Sarah wearing a yellow knee-length dress and yellow sandals. She's just simple, which suits her great. After saying "hellos" to her other friends, Sarah comes towards our table next.

"I hope you're feeling great, guys," Sarah says as she sits between Kezia and Alice.

"Well, as long as there is food later, I'm great, Sarah," Emmanuel says. Alice shoves him on the ribs, hard.

"Hey!" Emmanuel yelps. She sticks her tongue out with an eye roll.

Sarah giggles. "Don't worry, Emmanuel. After the games, it's dinner time." Then she looks at me with a smile. "What do you think of my outfit, Jess?"

Before I can compliment her, Leslie says, "Your dress looks like it's having the flu."

Sarah glares at Leslie. "I'm not asking you, Burke."

Leslie smiles sarcastically. "I'm just answering for him, Bradfield. Isn't that right, Jess?"

"Um . . ." I falter, unsure of what to answer. Kezia facepalms, and Emmanuel and Alice are still bickering with each other. I don't know what's going on exactly, but at that glorious moment the emcee calls for all of our attention and introduces the birthday celebrant.

Lance walks to the mini stage with a grin—wearing a simple blue polo shirt and jeans. We give a round of applause. He says his speech, thanking everyone who came.

"I hope you all are having fun. And I can't wait to open your gifts!" he adds. We all laugh.

After the games for the children, we get food from the buffet table at the right side, which ranges from Italian to Mediterranean.

Minutes have passed and we are all full. Lance goes to our table.

"You all came!" he exclaims and hugs Leslie, Alice, and Kezia. Me and Emmanuel give him a high-five while ruffling his hair.

"Happy birthday, Lance!" we greet in unison.

He grins widely. "Thank you! Your gifts better be nice!"

"Don't worry, little brother," Sarah says while rolling her eyes, "I assure you that all of our gifts are nice. Even perfect."

"Yay!" He jumps, then goes to his other friends.

A magician is currently showing a trick to us guests. He displays two bank notes and shows them openly back and front for all of us to see. The magician places them back to back. He cuts through the center of both notes with a pair of scissors. Well, this trick is new to me.

Then, the magician instantly opens both halves to show the notes—restored to their original condition.

I gape while the rest of the audience claps in amazement. B-but . . . how did he—oh, right. That's why it's called a _magic trick._

Even Leslie's eyes are sparkling in wonder. "I'm going to ask him later how he did that," she says to me.

I chuckle. "As if he'll reveal his secret to you."

Leslie raises a challenging eyebrow. "Wanna bet, my King?"

I smirk. "What's the bet, my Queen?"

She thinks for how many seconds. "If he reveals his secret to me," she says, "you'll be the one who'll give P.T. a bath next week. If not, then I'll be the one who'll give him a bath next week."

"But I can't do that alone!" I complain. "If I lose, anyway."

"Take it or leave it."

I sigh in defeat. "Gah! Fine. Well, he's already done performing. Go ask him now."

Leslie dashes to the magician in record time.

"Jess," someone whispers in my right ear. Startled, I turn sharply to see Sarah's face inches from mine. I instantly lean away, blushing. "Jeez, Sarah. Why do you keep doing that?"

She smiles sweetly. "What, making you blush?"

My face heats up tenfold. "Er . . . w-w-whispering, I m-mean . . ."

Sarah giggles. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"S-sure. About what?" I ask.

She exhales. "I mean, can I talk to you for a moment, _alone_?"

I smile sheepishly. "Oh, er, r-right. Sorry. Sure."

We walk to the side of their house where we are alone and can see the moon and the stars clearly. Then, I remember the night when Leslie and I did stargazing.

"Say, what do you want to talk about, Sarah?" I ask as she stops and faces me. "The play tomorrow?"

Sarah shakes her head, and then takes a step forward, gazing up at me with thoughtful brown eyes. I swallow the sudden dryness in my throat. _What's happening?_

"Jess," she says softly. "Hope you'll hear me out."

Unsure of where this is going, I just nod.

"Ever s-s-since . . ." Sarah clears her throat. I think this is the first time I hear her stutter. "Ever since I first saw you in seventh grade . . . you know, in Art class, when you helped me with combining colors . . ."

I remember that day. It was the first day of school. Our Art teacher told us to draw something that we love and color it. Me and Sarah were sitting beside each other. Well, I was late that time, and the only seat left was the one next to her right. Unfortunately, Leslie and I weren't classmates in Art in seventh grade. "Yeah?"

Sarah exhales again, then looks in my eyes, determined. "That was the day I fell in love with you!"

My eyes widen in surprise. My jaw also drops to the ground. _What?_

"Even now," she continues, "I still love you. Yes, you're shy most of the time, but you're helpful and kind almost to everyone. And you're so breathtakingly handsome. Who wouldn't fall for a guy someone like you?"

_Leslie Sophia Burke, _I think sadly.

"That's why me and Burke have this rivalry going on," Sarah admits. "I get jealous whenever I see you with her, that you're having fun with her _every_ single day. What's worse is that you two are freakin' neighbors! I wish that I was the one in her place. It breaks my heart, Jess! Do you feel the same way about me? Can we be more than friends?"

I slowly look away. This is the first time that someone said that to me, and it makes me nervous for some reason. If I'm going to tell her that I don't feel the same way, that I just love her as a friend, I know what she'll feel. Besides, Leslie did that to me already. Not that I blame her or anything.

_But wait, _a voice inside my head says, _Sarah said, "That's why me and Burke have this rivalry going on._" _Does that mean—?_

I shake my head. _Nah, it can't be. Maybe Leslie just doesn't want Sarah for me. Yeah, that's why._

Out of the blue, I remember what Conrad said to me again: _Everything is never as it seems._

I run my hands through my hair with gritted teeth. _Why the heck is this so complicated?!_

"Jess, are you all right?" Sarah asks with concern.

Remembering my current position, I lower my hands to my side, and sigh. I force myself to respond rather than to run away from here. "Sarah," I say as I look directly in her eyes, "you're beautiful, nice, and a great person. Even your dress looks perfect on you. But I, er, love you . . . only as a . . . friend . . . I-I'm sorry . . ."

Her eyes widen in shock, and after a few moments of silence, tears start to fall down on her cheeks.

_Oh, snap._

"S-Sarah, please d-don't cry," I say stupidly.

Sarah hastily wipes her eyes with her hands. Just when I forgot to bring a handkerchief. "No. It's all right. Don't w-worry about it . . ." Then, she starts sobbing.

I suddenly feel bad, but it would be worse if I lie to Sarah, telling her that I love her as more than a friend, too, right?

Not knowing what else to do, I hug her—as a friend, of course. She cries freely now and, thankfully, doesn't back away from my friendly embrace.

Sarah sobs into my chest—her hands clawing tightly at my shirt—as I run my fingers through her smooth black hair, trying to calm her down.

"Is it Leslie Burke?" she asks between sobs.

I take a deep breath. "Yes. I'm sorry, Sarah."

After a moment of silence—except for her sniffling—Sarah calms down and says, "Why don't you just confess your feelings to her, Jess?"

I smile sadly, even though she can't see me. "She already loves someone else."

"What? Really?"

I nod timidly. "Nigel Groban. She told me she's falling for him." _And, yes, we are both brokenhearted at the moment._

Sarah removes herself from the hug. "But what about our rivalry?"

I give her a confused look.

I can see in Sarah's face that something in her mind clicks. "You really are dense, Jess. But still, Burke, what you did is a wrong move," she says more to herself.

I tilt my head to the side. "What are you talking about, Sarah?"

She wipes the tears left on her face. "Look, I have a hunch why Burke said that to you. But if she really did say _falling_, then you still have a chance, Jess. Don't let fear get in your way. She has to know how you feel about her from you directly, and not from me or anyone else. Heh, as if I'll tell her that you love her."

"You know, for someone who just got, um, you know, you're good at giving advice or whatever."

Sarah rolls her eyes. "That's because I'm not a loser. I have to accept reality."

I kiss her on the cheek. Sarah blushes furiously while gaping as I lean away. "Payback," I say with a lopsided smile as I extend my hand. "Still friends, right?"

She smiles back and shakes my hand. "Still friends."

Then we hug each other once more. But I know that underneath her smile is a broken heart and a bucket of emotions that wants to break from its confinement.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

G-Matt: *Conrad suddenly appears out of nowhere* Conrad: Awww thanks, mate! :D

Ashworth555: You're right. I'm sorry! Edited it already. Blame it on my feels. XD  
And 11 days to go until HoH! Teh DAM feels! I'm surprised, though, that you weren't annoyed with Jesse's actions in this chapter.  
Conrad: More fans for me? I'm so shuckin' awesome!

BT2: There's a JxL moment above. Hope you liked it and it lessened the pain in your heart. Haha! And, yeah, Jess, MAN UP!

terrabithain12: Sorry I scared you! And Conrad said that he doesn't want to ruin the surprise. Conrad is stupid sometimes.  
Conrad: Whoever says I'm stupid next time will receive a concussion. And Jesse is the stupid one. That is all.  
Okay, I take that back.

MadTom: I mentioned about the name change in my chapter 1 A/N. But if it seems offensive that I changed his second name, I'll change it back. :)

lillypop: Leslie will do something soon, I promise, so don't die yet!

Guest: Of course. There will be 17 chapters all in all for this story. ;)

Guest: I don't play _Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2_, but maybe . . . ? XD

phillyboy: About the quote, nah, I just found that somewhere. XD  
"Huh. Sort of surprised Leslie didn't FALL for ol' Conrad! Okay, see, THAT I could at least understand, since he's such a decent dude. But GROBAN...yeesh!"  
Conrad: I'm glad you think I'm Leslie-worthy and a decent dude. And I must say that Groban is the Number 1 Loser on this planet. Jesse is the Number 2 Loser, so "Jesse Airhead Aarons" fits him brilliantly! Sorry, Jess. Hah! Not!

castellan: Thank you! Jesslie is one of the best ships out there.  
Conrad: Bloody hell I love you, too! May I ask if you're also British? :D

*Conrad suddenly disappears*

Okay, that was weird.

**A/N**: Didn't expect that, huh? Was that good or bad? Nyahaha!

By the way, for those who didn't catch on on where I got Jesse RYAN Aarons, Josh Hutcherson's second name is Ryan. More info about that in my chapter 1 A/N. If you lot find the Oliver/Ryan switch thing offensive or awkward, please let me know and I'll change it back. :)

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review!

* * *

**BONUS**

(The links are also available in my profile.)

goo . gl / 51lZ9X  
-Quote picture 2

goo . gl / cPIdRI  
-Sarah Bradfield (quote by Nicholas Sparks)


	14. Literature Day

**Alternate title: **Curiosity and Bravery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bridge to Terabithia. It belongs to Katherine Paterson, David L. Paterson, Walden Media, Walt Disney Pictures, and etc. Oh, and other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of my imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

**A/N: Okay, this chapter is the 3rd most-waited scene for this story, I think. Haha! Now, I HIGHLY suggest you lot should listen to the classical pieces that are mentioned in this chapter so that you'll really feel the essence of their _Sleeping Beauty _play and that you're really one of the audience. The pieces are available on YouTube. :)**

* * *

_My accidental happily_  
_(Ever after)_  
_The way you smile and how you comfort me_  
_(With your laughter)_  
_I must admit you were not a part of my book_  
_But now if you open it up and take a look_  
_You're the beginning and the end of every chapter_  
_—Never Knew I Needed by Ne-Yo_

**goo . gl / OEZdQO**

Chapter 14: Literature Day

"Ms. Thompson, they are already here," Diana announces as she and the other members of the costume team enter the room.

Ms. Thompson's eyes sparkle in delight. "Oooh! Let me see them, dear!"

Unfortunately, I'm the first one who got out from the male restroom, so Diana pushes me inside. When I see their reactions as I grudgingly enter the room, I want to jump off a cliff by the sea and let myself drown.

The girls coo at me, saying I look pretty and lovely that I almost gag. The boys give me sympathetic looks, like my pet goldfish died. As if I own a goldfish. I can't blame them, though.

Ms. Thompson hugs me tightly. "You are indeed Princess Aurora, Jesse Aarons."

I just laugh awkwardly. I'm wearing a pink ball gown and a long blond wig with tiara. Never have I imagined in my entire life that I'd be in a situation like this.

"My Princess Aurora looks so pretty and lovely."

I turn around and see Leslie gazing at me with an amused look, and is refraining herself from laughing. I should be glaring at her, but I want to puke rainbows instead after seeing that she's wearing her prince costume: blue outfit, black boots, red cape, and a red hunting hat with a wooden sword—that's been painted gray—strapped around her waist. Her hair is tied in a ponytail.

Yep, my thoughts are correct. She's so dang beautiful and ethereal, even with a costume for a guy.

"Shut up, Les," I mutter, also hoping that she won't notice my blush.

Leslie giggles and walks to me. "Your costume suits you."

"Your c-costume suits y-you more."

She lifts up my gown. "I knew it! You're wearing rubber shoes."

"Put it down! The audience can't see them, anyway. Thank God. I don't want to wear heels or something much worse."

I see Sarah—wearing the color violet witch costume—talking to Diana and Alice, and then she turns to me. We give each other a friendly smile.

Ms. Thompson calls for the cast. "Excellent job on the props, costumes, and playlist, dears. They're all perfect!" she says. "And our class will be the last one to present for the sophomore level. Now I know how the audience will really react."

My classmates give a loud cheer.

_Hey, hey, _I think with a deadpan expression.

"So God bless us all," Ms. Thompson continues. "I'm sure we'll win this!"

After Ms. Thompson delivers her little speech, I see Leslie retreating to a side. I follow her.

"Hey." I reach out and lightly touch her elbow. She starts. "You all right, Les?"

Leslie takes a deep breath and nods. "Yeah," she says, a little too brightly. "I'm fine, Jess."

"You're nervous."

She smiles slightly. "Yes, but for another reason."

Before I can ask what she meant, Ms. Thompson says that we should practice for the last time.

We practice and, after the second scene, Ms. Thompson announces that all of the sophomores should be inside the school's theater now.

"Don't worry. You dears already perfected scenes three and four," Ms. Thompson assures us.

I want to say to her: _But Leslie and I only practiced the last scene once, and we didn't even get to finish practicing it._

We enter the theater through the backdoor where the performers enter. We hear from the intercom that the third freshman section is already done performing.

The topic for ninth grade is Fables; tenth grade is Fairy Tales; eleventh grade is Shakespeare's works; and twelfth grade is Broadway.

Most of the sophomore students are already here, preparing for their play.

"And what do we have here?"

Leslie and I turn around and see Conrad grinning at us wickedly.

"Hey, Conrad," Leslie greets while I just roll my eyes. _Great. Here comes more teasing for me._

"Jesse as the Princess and Leslie as the Prince," he muses, "this will be a blast!"

"We'll surely win for the sophomore level," Leslie says.

"Yeah, Conrad. Just you wait," I say, agreeing with her. "What's your role, anyway?"

Conrad is holding a star wand and just wearing a plain blue suit with a red necktie, white pants and shoes.

He shrugs. "Modern Fairy Grandfather, I believe."

Leslie raises an eyebrow while I resist laughing.

"Modern Fairy Grandfather? That's a first," I say.

Conrad gives me his famous sassy look. "At least I don't get to wear a bloody fluffy pink gown and a blond wig with a tiara."

I hate it when he's right. "Whatever."

After _Snow White_—the play of the first sophomore section—Conrad's section is next.

"About bloody time," Conrad mutters and walks away from us. "Wish us luck!"

Leslie laughs. "How about _no_?"

"How rude," Conrad says with mock hurt.

"Leslie!"

Groban runs to Leslie and gives her a hug. I scowl and suddenly have an interest at the wall. _I don't care about them._

I hear her giggling and can see at the corner of my eye that she's hugging him back. _Don't care. Don't care._

"Okay, so you are Prince Charming," Leslie says.

"Well, yours is more surprising. I mean, seriously, Prince Phillip? And Aarons is Princess Aurora?" He laughs. "Such a twist."

I clench my hands into fists. _Just you wait, Groban, _I think, _your section is going down._

I notice that the attention is now focused on them. Someone even whistles a _wit-wiw._

"I know, right?" Leslie says. "But hey, it's fun!"

"Can you give me a kiss on the cheek? You know, for good luck."

As Leslie leans in, I start to panic and want to throw my golden tiara at Groban. _No no no nooooo!_

"Oy, David Beckham Wannabe, we're next! Get your lazy butt over here!" Conrad yells.

I sigh in relief inwardly and hide a grin. _Perfect timing as usual, Conrad._

"Why does he always have to ruin the moment?" I hear Groban mutter as he passes me, not acknowledging my presence.

_Ha!_

000

After for how many minutes, _Cinderella _is done. I can still hear the thunderous clapping from the audience and "We love you, Nigel Groban!" over and over again.

Ugh. Fangirls.

Our props team hurriedly prepares the stage, and then Jonas comes back from the stage to give us a thumbs-up.

"This is it, dears," Ms. Thompson says cheerily. "Have fun out there! I'll just be at the front row to watch our grand play."

Our section does a group hug and cheers, "Let's do our very best!"

Alice's voice crackles over the intercom—introducing our class and play. Then there is a smattering of applause.

We watch from the side as the cast for scene one goes to the stage, then Alice starts narrating over the intercom. Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite" can be heard throughout the theater.

"_Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a king and queen named Stefan and Leah. Their Kingdom is a prosperous and peaceful land. However, King Stefan and Queen Leah have been without a child for a long time . . ."_

The red curtain goes up.

"_And one day, the long-anticipated princess was finally born . . ."_

The spotlight is now directed at Scott. He's wearing a gorgeous green gown and brown wig.

The celebration of the birth of the Princess is being held in the castle. There are guests, servants, and guards—who are my classmates that didn't have roles.

"Today is the party celebrating the birth of my Princess Aurora," he says in a girly voice while carrying a baby doll wrapped in a blanket, which represents Aurora as a baby. "Everyone, please give the Princess a blessing!"

I can hear some muffled laughter from the audience.

_Ha-ha, _I think. _What if I'm the one who's already at the stage?_

Joenabie, Kezia, and Chaelly—wearing yellow dresses with glittering wings at their backs—walk forward.

Joenabie bows down. "To the beautiful Princess Aurora . . ."

Kezia does the same. "From us Fairies . . ."

And Chaelly. "We present her a gift . . ."

Michelle Corwin—who is the King—and Scott nod to them while sitting in their thrones. "Yes," Scott says.

"From me," Joenabie says, "a beauty matching a brilliant rainbow . . ." She waves her wand.

Kezia waves her wand. "From me, a shining voice as good as any bird . . ."

Their wands are stuffed with glitters and every time they wave their wands, there's a glittering sound effect.

Chaelly says, "And from me—"

The music suddenly changes to Mussorgsky's "Night on the Bald Mountain" and Sarah appears from the other side of the stage while laughing evilly. I must say that she's doing an amazing job. The crowd goes wild, shouting, "Wooo! Sarah Bradfield!" and "Be my girlfriend, Sarah!"

There are continuous flashes from the audience's cameras.

"My, what a party we have today!" she exclaims. _Yeah, what a party indeed. _"But it seems I didn't receive an invitation!"

"Maleficent!" Joenabie takes a step towards Sarah. "Who would invite a wicked witch like you?!"

"A wicked witch?" Sarah muses while raising an eyebrow. "I wonder who you mean by that."

"I . . . I apologize," Scott says. "I had heard that you dislike noisy gatherings . . ."

Sarah turns sharply to Scott. "Yes, yes. I do hate noisy gatherings." Her eyes narrow. "But I hate being ignored even more than that!"

She walks to the center of the stage and looks at the audience. "Now, I shall give a blessing to the Princess as well. The Princess will live a happy life with her beauty, pride, and kindness loved by the people of her Kingdom. But, on her sixteenth birthday, she will be pricked by a needle on a spinner . . ." The spotlight focuses only at Sarah and the audience goes wild again. "AND SHE WILL DIE!"

There is a thunder booming sound effect in the background. Even the lights turn on and off continuously. Sarah laughs again evilly as puffs of smoke appear on the stage for her exit.

"Sarah, come back!" someone shouts from the audience.

I hear Joenabie saying to Kezia and Chaelly, "Sarah is amazing."

Chaelly nods in agreement. "When we were practicing, she was always saying how she didn't want to be the villain."

"She's the type of person that gets into things when they actually happen, especially since Leslie's her number-one enemy," Kezia replies with a chuckle.

"So, how was my performance?" Sarah asks me as she reaches our side.

I grin. "You were awesome, Sarah!"

She turns to Leslie, who is concentrating on watching the play. "Do you want me to tell you something you don't know, Burke?"

"Not interested, Bradfield," Leslie replies flatly without looking at her.

"Hey," I whisper to Sarah, hoping Leslie won't hear.

"I'm just joking," she whispers back. "But I'm sure that you'll do great later, Jess."

I laugh nervously. "I hope so. Thanks, Sarah."

Sarah winks.

Maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel Leslie's piercing gaze on us.

The lights are back on as the smoke disappears, and the Queen walks down from her throne. "Oh, this is horrible!" Scott exclaims. "My Princess Aurora was cursed by the Witch!" He kneels down and starts to sob.

Wow, even Scott is doing a decent acting. Maybe he wants to impress Ms. Thompson.

The Three Fairies come near the Queen.

"H-how horrible!" Kezia exclaims.

The King puts a hand on the Queen's shoulder for comfort.

"Is there a way to lift Maleficent's curse? Michelle asks as she looks up to the Fairies.

"I still have my gift," Chaelly says while waving her wand, and the spotlight focuses at them. "The Princess will prick her finger on a needle from a spinner on her sixteenth birthday. However, she will not die. She will just fall asleep. Princess Aurora will be awaken by the kiss of someone who truly loves her and who has enough power to break through the Witch's evil powers." She frowns. "I'm sorry, my King, but that's all I can do. Her curse is too powerful to lift."

"It's all right. We understand," Michelle says. "As long as there's an option. Thank you."

The lights turn off for the next scene. The members of the props team instantly prepare on the stage.

Now I really want to crawl in a hole and die.

A hand interlaces through mine. I turn to my left and see Leslie smiling warmly at me. She squeezes my hand. I understand her silent message: _You can do it, Jess._

I feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I smile and squeeze back gently. _For you, Les._

I go to the stage and sit in a chair in front of a table with a mirror. My palms are already sweating. "God," I pray, "please help me get through this successfully. Amen."

Seeing that everything is in order, Diana texts Alice—who's at the control room—that we're ready.

"_Hearing the Witch's curse, the King called out to burn every spinner in the Kingdom. All of the countrymen followed his call, and all of the spinners disappeared from this Kingdom. Sixteen years later, the Princess grew up to become very beautiful._"

Delibes's "Sylvia: Pizzicato" plays over the speakers throughout the theater.

The lights turn on. Scott enters the stage and calls, "Princess! Oh, Princess!"

This is it. If Scott can do it, then so can I.

I pretend to brush my wig. "Yes, Mother! What is it?" I ask in my girly voice. I can hear another batch of laughter from the audience.

_Ignore them, Aarons, _a voice in my head says. _Just like what Leslie told you: _Think that there is no audience.

Meh. Forget it. It's hard, especially with the laughter all around.

"Tonight is your sixteenth birthday. Hurry up and get dressed."

"Yes, Mother!"

Then Scott exits.

"_Princess Aurora continues to prepare herself, when suddenly, she finds a spinner that was supposedly abolished from the Kingdom!_"

Here's the freakin' line again, and I envision in my mind how Leslie said and acted it. "My! I wonder what this is!"

I inwardly cringe and fight the urge not to run away from the stage. That sounded _so _lame.

The music suddenly stops. How dramatic.

I come near the spinner and accidentally look at the audience. I see my family at the middle row. Well, it was also obliged that our parents should come to the event. I also see Mr. and Mrs. Burke beside Dad and—wait, what?! Is Mrs. Burke filming our play?! Even Mom's taking pictures with a huge grin plastered on her face.

I mentally bang my head on a floor.

"That's my brother up there!" someone shouts, and I almost trip.

_Good grief, Joyce Ann!_

I slowly touch the spinner's needle and scream, "Aaaaahhhh!" and instantly flop to the floor. I literally bang my head on the floor.

Accidentally.

This is now officially my _most _embarrassing moment.

Forever.

Another music, which is Mozart's "Lacrimosa," starts playing.

Emmanuel insisted that we should listen and memorize the musical pieces for the play. He plays them every time we have our practice in Literature class. Don't know why he finds it important for us to memorize the playlist, but I still did it.

I can hear Scott's gasp. "Oh, no! My Princess is dead! My darling Princess Aurora!" He kneels down and hugs me while giving sobbing sounds.

The Three Fairies come to our side.

"No, your Majesty," Kezia says. "Princess Aurora is only asleep . . ."

"Just like my gift from sixteen years ago," Chaelly continues.

"Now, all we can do is wait for the right prince who will awaken the Princess," Joenabie finishes.

The theater lights turn off. Now for scene three.

The members of the props team instantly do their job.

"You did great, Jess!" Leslie exclaims when I stand beside her.

I snort. "Right."

"Hey, I'm not kidding. I guess all those practices finally paid off, huh?"

I smile lightly. _It's because of you, Leslie. _"I think so. Thanks, Les. You better brace yourself, though. You're next."

She grins. "I'm already prepared ages ago."

I chuckle. "It must be so nice to be you."

Leslie punches me playfully on my arm.

Sarah, the five underlings, and the Fairies are at the right side of the stage.

Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" starts playing as the lights turn on.

"_And many years have passed, a prince arrives at the Kingdom . . ._"

Leslie enters the stage with a determined look, and the audience goes berserk again—even the flashes of the cameras.

"I love you, Leslie Burke!"

"Can you be my girlfriend, Leslie?!"

"Jesslie forever!"

_What the heck is _Jesslie, I wonder.

She looks up at the castle, trees and bushes surround it—just cardboard cutouts with stands at the back.

"This must be that mystic castle," Leslie says in a deep voice, and there are shouts again.

"We have been waiting for you."

Leslie looks around her sharply while unsheathing her sword. "Who's there?!"

Joenabie, Kezia, and Chaelly appear from the right and they bow at the Prince.

"We are Fairies," Kezia says. "We have been waiting for a brave young lad to come to this castle."

"What?!" Leslie exclaims.

"In this castle sleeps a beautiful princess," Joenabie states.

"She continues to sleep because of a curse done by the Wicked Witch," Kezia says sadly.

Leslie puts a hand over her heart and says, "That is a big problem! Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Marry me, Leslie!" someone shouts from the audience. I will seriously hunt for that guy if he'll shout something like that again.

"If you truly feel you want to save the Princess . . ." Chaelly falters.

Leslie raises her sword. "I have this sword and my courage. I, Prince Phillip, promise that I will dispel the curse from the Princess!" She sheathes her sword.

Mozart's "Requiem Dies Irae" starts to play as the Witch appears on the stage with her underlings from the right side.

Sarah laughs evilly again, her hands—the other one holding a black staff—raised in a grand way, like she now owns the world. "So, you are here, Prince!"

Leslie points her sword to Sarah. "You must be the Wicked Witch who made the curse!"

And the shouts from the audience intensify that I think the theater will explode at any moment. This is the mightiest proof that Leslie and Sarah's rivalry is indeed famous in Lark Creek High. I wonder what Mr. and Mrs. Burke think of this.

"Go, Leslie!"

"Sarah all the way!"

"This must be put in Lark Creek High's history!"

"Defeat the Witch, Prince!"

"Fight to the death! Like _Hunger Games_! Yaaay!"

"Witch versus knight! Heck yeah!"

"Brace yourselves! There will be a nuclear explosion later!"

Sarah rolls her eyes. "Well, duh! I believe I'm the only wicked witch in this land!" She turns to her underlings. "All of you, GET HIM!"

The Fairies back away as the underlings charge at the Prince. "You can do it, Prince Phillip!"

Leslie nods at them, and then slashes at the underlings gracefully. She even does a somersault two times that the audience—including me—goes "Whoa!"

All of the underlings fall to the ground within a minute.

"Argh! Useless servants!" Sarah cries in fury and charges at Leslie in record time. They dodge and slash at each other for a few moments that I think if they're still acting or not, while the watchers gasp and shriek.

And then Prince Phillip slashes Maleficent for the last time.

Sarah screams in agony. "NO! Curse you, Prince Phillip!"

The Wicked Witch makes a few gagging sounds, and then Prince Phillip sheathes her sword.

The music stops playing and there's complete silence in the theater.

Leslie pretends to breathe heavily. "I did it! I defeated the Witch!"

The audience whoops as the lights turn off, and my stomach suddenly churns, but I swallow my nervousness. This is it, the scene where Leslie and I will . . . gah!

After the props team puts the bed at the right place, I lie down in it and close my eyes—the blanket covering my body. Yep, they still can't see my rubber shoes.

Debussy's "Claire de Lune" starts playing in the background as the spotlight is directed at me.

I take a peek and see Leslie coming near towards the bed, then quickly close my eye.

_Help!_

"Oh! What a beautiful princess!" she exclaims dramatically. Even the audience falls deadly silent, holding their breath. I think my eyebrows are twitching in nervousness.

"The only thing that can awaken Princess Aurora . . ." I hear Joeanbie say.

"Is a kiss from someone who truly loves Princess Aurora . . ." Chaelly continues.

"If you truly love her, then a kiss . . ." Kezia says.

"Yes . . ." Leslie breathes while I am already having trouble breathing.

Someone yells, "I volunteer!" There is also a commotion from the audience.

"No! Leslie shouldn't kiss Aarons! That should be me up there!"

"Shut your shuckin' mouth, David Beckham Wannabe! You're ruining the best scene!"

I feel Leslie leaning on my face, and my heart is ready to explode.

Without warning, Leslie kisses me.

Near. On. My. Lips.

_Holy brown cow!_

I suddenly open my eyes and gasp, unaware that I was holding my breath.

The chorus of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" is currently playing in the background as I sit up straight. Leslie immediately hugs me.

I slowly hug her back, my face blushing furiously. I hope none from the audience will take notice.

_She kissed me near on my lips! No, Leslie did that just for the sake of the audience. Nothing more, Aarons._

"IT BROKE!" the Three Fairies cheer in unison.

"_After the curse was lifted, Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip lived happily ever after!_"

For a heartbeat, there is absolute silence. Then, like a dam breaking, a roar of applause sweeps over the theater, lace with whistles.

I turn to my left and see Sarah gazing at Leslie from the left side of the stage, pain and misery washing across her face. But when she notices that I'm staring at her, she glances away with a sad smile. I think I even see a single tear drop from her face.

The curtain closes and our class positions in a horizontal line. As the curtain opens again, we take a bow with the crowd's continuous applause.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

castellan: Next chapter is finally their adventure in the -wait for it- haunted mansion! We'll see if Sarah will help Jess. ;)  
And, yeah, I'm a demigod. A daughter of Apollo, to be exact. And Conrad is indeed a son of Athena. But Jesse and Leslie and the others shouldn't know about it, or else all Hades will break loose. Ahaha! Anyway, did you already buy HoH? :D

G-Matt and richard kayser: Thanks so much for reading! :D

BT2: Thank you so much! Hope this chapter's kinda long enough for you. And about the bonus pictures, since FF doesn't allow highlighting on the page anymore, go to my profile instead and you'll see the links below. Tell me what you think of the pics. :)  
You can always register again, though. *nudge nudge*  
By the way, BT2, can you tell me your first name? Since you're the 100th reviewer, I have a suprise in store for you. ;D

lillypop: THROW THAT KNIFE AWAY THIS INSTANT! XD  
Sorry that the last chapter's short. Hope chapter fourteen is kinda long enough for you. And I SO love your mini scene! Poor Jesse. And, yeah, no one here on earth should question Conrad's intelligence. :D

Ashworth555: I wonder when will Jesse's pessimism disappear. Haha! And looks like you have a rival when it comes to Conrad: castellan. You two are even PJO fans. I think this is dangerous. XD  
Did you already buy your copy of HoH? I think the four going to Hoover Dam is zero percent in this story. Sorry!

Abhro: You do have a point. But two people have voted for "it's fine," so I'll leave it as Ryan for now.

terrabithian12: Have you read my Jesslie one-shot "Good Time"? I believe you'll love something in there. *wink wink*  
If ideas will come to my mind, then we'll see. And me? The best BtT Jesslie fanfic writer? Nah. There are greater BtT JxL fanfic writers out there than me. And no worries about the confusion review thingie. ;)

phillyboy: Someone's now a Sarah fan, I see. Hihi. See? She's not that bad. But when it comes to tickling . . . Ah. You know what I mean.  
Alice and Emmanuel are just besties like JxL. I don't know if they also have their own magical kingdom. Maybe. Maybe not.  
And poor Jesse to have punch on his lap. XD

**A/N: **Judging from your reviews for chapter thirteen, the last scene was kinda successful. Thank you so much, readers! I was worried that I didn't get the right emotions or something because I haven't experienced getting my heart broken. Yet, I guess. *knocks on wood* Well, except when my favorite characters die, but that's another story.

I got the ideas and borrowed most of the lines of their _Sleeping Beauty _play from _Cardcaptor Sakura _episode forty-two since it's the easiest _Sleeping Beauty _play I have ever watched. The changing of genders, too. XD

The next chapter is the 2nd most-awaited scene in this story: the haunted mansion! *hears the readers shout "Finally!"*

Just wanna share that I already bought my copy of _The House of Hades_ on its released date. I was hyperventilating when I was buying the book from a bookstore. Thank the gods the cashier understood what I was going through. Bahaha! Sadly, I haven't finished reading it yet because of, you know, school stuff. I hope I'll get to finish reading the book later. So, to the PJO fans out there, I hope you already have the book. Surprising stuff awaits you. :D

AND HAPPY 21th BIRTHDAY, JOSH HUTCHERSON! 3

Hope you enjoyed their _Sleeping Beauty _play! Don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review!

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**BONUS**

Check my profile to see character pictures of Nigel Groban and Jesse Aarons.


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